While Chinese cars aren’t common in the United States due to high tariffs, national security concerns, and safety standards, one brand has an unlikely American customer: Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford.
In an October episode of the Fully Charged Show, a podcast that covers the most recent developments in clean energy and electric vehicles, Farley admits that he has been driving the Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan for over six months. While he says he initially imported the car to get a closer look at the competition, he claims that he “loves” it and “doesn’t want to give it up.”
In a video with over 1.6 million views, car reviewer and TikToker Chris Pearce (@thechristopherpearce) reacts to Farley’s surprising endorsement. The Daily Dot has previously covered his reviews of Tesla and Toyota.
“We are so cooked with these Chinese EVs, dude,” Pearce says. “The CEO of a major U.S. corporation rarely goes on record to praise the direct competition.”
What is the Xiaomi SU7?
The SU7 is the first vehicle released by Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi.
“The car, unfortunately, is not available in the U.S.,” Pearce says. “But Ford has a large presence in Europe and Asia where this car is sold—meaning it’s a direct competitor to them.”
According to Pearce, the praise is “understandable.”
He notes that the fully electric Xiaomi SU7 has over 500 miles of range and over 600 horsepower—all for around $30,000. For comparison, Ford’s comparable electric vehicle, the 2024 Mustang® Mach-E, has around 320 miles of range and 480 horsepower. The Ford model starts at $43,995.
“It’s lightyears ahead of whatever Ford is selling,” Pearce says.
Drivers respond
In the comments, car owners weigh in on the United States vehicle industry and the unavailability of Xiaomi’s new EV.
“I’m so ready for this. I want to support American business, but American business needs to start making better cars. Until then, I’ll drive my Hyundai,” a viewer says.
“China is Ford’s number 2 market place outside of the US. It is smart for him to see what’s going on there so he can continue to stay competitive. The US does not offer the same level of competition,” another writes.
“Maybe if our car companies focused on making better cars as opposed to bigger profits, we wouldn’t have this issue,” a third suggests.
Some commenters suggest that Farley’s car choice says more about Ford’s quality.
“Being CEO of Ford and not driving a Ford tells you everything you need to know about Fords,” one writes.
“So that just tells you that even the Ford CEO doesn’t drive a Ford,” another says.
@thechristopherpearce Ford CEO daily drives a Xiaomi Electric Sedan #carnews #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Chris Pearce
The Daily Dot reached out to Pearce via email and TikTok direct message. We also contacted Ford and Xiaomi via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
