Emir BardakçıXiaomi’s public relations director Wang Hua has stepped forward to address widespread misinterpretation of CEO Lei Jun’s comments regarding car manufacturing challenges. The controversy emerged after tech media outlet Caijing.com Technology extracted clips from an interview between Lei Jun and Li Xiang, creating viral content that suggested wheel manufacturing was the most difficult aspect of car production. Wang Hua emphasized that these clips were taken out of context from a comprehensive 3-hour and 26-minute discussion that originally aired in April 2024.
Context Behind the Viral Clips
The controversial footage shows Lei Jun discussing automotive design challenges, specifically mentioning: “The most difficult thing is to make wheels. After looking at 5,000 pairs of wheels, I was sick of myself. We made 500 wheels for each one.” However, Wang Hua clarified that this statement appeared around the 1 hour and 53 minutes mark of the full interview, which primarily focused on automotive design complexity and consumer acceptance of innovative features.
Full Interview Reveals Different Narrative
According to Wang Hua’s explanation, the complete discussion beginning around 1 hour and 40 minutes addressed broader automotive design challenges. Lei Jun used wheel design as a practical example to illustrate how seemingly simple automotive components involve extensive research and development processes. The CEO’s comments highlighted the meticulous attention to detail required in automotive manufacturing rather than suggesting wheels represent the primary technical challenge.
Xiaomi’s Automotive Journey Continues
This clarification comes as Xiaomi continues expanding its automotive division following the successful launch of the SU7 electric vehicle. The company remains committed to transparency in communicating its automotive development progress while addressing public misconceptions about its manufacturing priorities and technical challenges.
