On September 1st, the official Weibo, the spokesman of Xiaomi Company, announced that industrial and commercial registration had been officially completed. The company name was "Xiaomi Automobile Co., Ltd.", with a registered capital of 10 billion yuan, and Lei Jun was the legal person, with its headquarters in Beijing. In addition, Xiaomi announced that the team of 17 soul figures of Xiaomi Automobile has been completed.
It is understood that this team is a combination of three generations of millet backbones and new elites in the automobile industry. It is worth noting that among the team members, Li Tianyuan was once the designer of BMW’s flagship model iX.
According to media reports, Li Tianyuan was the first China automobile designer to join BMW, and the exterior of BMW IX, the flagship electric SUV of BMW I brand, was designed by him.
From 2012 to 2021, Li Tianyuan worked in the Shanghai Design Center of BMW Designworks and the R&D Center of BMW Muni in the past ten years. He faced more difficult challenges and created many impossibilities.
With the exterior design experience of BMW Zinoro Concept Next concept car and the exterior design experience of the new 7-series project in the early stage, Li Tianyuan’s design language on the exterior of BMW iX electric flagship SUV is more mature. On the one hand, the vertical grille design of BMW iX originated from BMW iNext concept car, on the other hand, it paid tribute to BMW’s classic models. Combining innovation with classics is the embodiment of Li Tianyuan’s perfect integration of brand culture into exterior design.
The significance of BMW iX to Li Tianyuan is far more than that. His fate with Xiaomi Automobile was also forged by BMW iX.
In March 2021, Li Tianyuan returned to China from Munich on behalf of BMW to attend the BMW iX electric SUV conference. He was deeply moved after watching the press conference of Xiaomi’s official announcement of building a car in the isolation hotel. He hoped to have the opportunity to make a good car for the Chinese themselves. He volunteered to join Xiaomi Automobile. In the same year, he officially served as the general manager, chief designer and vice chairman of the design committee of Xiaomi Automobile Industry.
On December 28th, 2023, Xiaomi SU7, an eco-luxury C-class car of Xiaomi Auto Technology, was officially unveiled. Driven by Li Tianyuan, Xiaomi’s design team integrated the beauty of nature and the beauty of science in the design of automobile industry, and they created a "design that can stand the test of time" in the new energy era with outstanding design talents.
The world debut of Xiaomi SU7 not only showed the world Xiaomi’s advanced technological innovation ability and strong technical reserve strength, but also enabled Li Tianyuan to complete another self-realization design leap.
[1] Xiaomi announced "the secret weapon of making cars" and called Li Tianyuan a talented Chinese designer-ZAKER News. Yong ZAKER News [reference date: January 19, 2024]
[2] An 11-year effort of a China designer-Interview with Li Tianyuan, a senior designer of BMW! -Sohu.com, Sohu.com [reference date 2023-12-28]
[3] Electrification in the New Era Interview with BMW iX Designer Li Tianyuan-Phoenix Net Automobile, Phoenix Net Automobile [reference date 2021-04-28]
[4] 17 soul figures of Xiaomi Auto are exposed! Among them are BMW designers-Netease News, Netease News [reference date 2021-09-02]
[5] Xiaomi Automobile, redefining Xiaomi-Netease, Netease [reference date 2023-12-29]
[6] Only such a 7-series can defeat the S-class? -Sina Finance, Sina Finance [reference date 2022-05-04]
[7] SU7 design team unveiled Xiaomi Automobile, ready to go-Sina News, Sina News [reference date 2024-01-17]
[8] BMW’s first pure electric SUV iX3 was put into production in China this summer-Easy Car Network, Easy Car Network [reference date 2020-05-22]
[9] BMW i Vision Circular concept car appeared at Munich Motor Show, which is very cute and will be listed in 2040-Sohu.com, Sohu.com [reference date: 2021-09-06]
[10] Xiaomi Automobile’s first official photo exposure-interface news, interface news [reference date: 2023-12-28]