Chinese EV impossible to buy in the US has suddenly and mysteriously appeared on American roads

Chinese EV Xiaomi YU7 Max has been spotted out on the I-5, despite not being sold in the US, and sparked plenty of speculation and rumor for car enthusiasts. 

The Xiaomi YU7 Max is a popular EV in China.

So much so that the waiting list became so long that the marque’s CEO told would-be customers to consider buying a rival brand.

But the car isn’t available for sale in the US, so why was one recently spotted heading down Interstate 5 with Illinois manufacturer plates on?

DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie  

Chinese EV Xiaomi YU7 Max has been seen out and about in the US

The Xiaomi YU7 Max has been dubbed ‘the Tesla killer’ thanks to its impressive performance stats. 

The dual-motor Chinese EV produces more than 680 horsepower and can hit 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds. 

It also has an incredible 466-mile range, which was put to the test back in July. 

The car has garnered a lot of media attention, and there are plenty of American motorists who would be keen to get behind the wheel of one. 

In fact, none other than Ford CEO Jim Farley has previously poured praise on Xiaomi. 

So, you can imagine the sort of speculation that was sparked after a dark colored Xiaomi YU7 Max was seen on the I-5 recently.

A photo of the car was shared onto Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, before later making its way to Reddit. 

When images of the EV were shared online, some social media users had hoped that it was a sign Xiaomi would be landing in the US. 

However, those Illinois manufacturing plates point towards a very different purpose. 

You’ll typically only see those plates on cars that are being used by manufacturers for development, validation, or benchmarking activity.

Meaning, the Xiaomi YU7 Max has likely been brought over to the States so that a fellow carmaker can carry out its own internal testing and competitive analysis.

Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com in Google Search to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology

Some car enthusiasts have a theory on which manufacturer is behind it

As yet, there’s no official word on why the Chinese EV is in America, or who brought it there. 

But on social media, some car enthusiasts have speculated that it could be Rivian – and it’s all down to the plates. 

Firstly, Rivian is based in Illinois, but not only that, the plates have the number 132, which has previously been used on test vehicles by the EV-maker, CarScoops reports.

Rivian is set to launch its R2 before the end of June, so it makes sense the marque would want to check out the competition. 

CEO RJ Scaringe has previously revealed the company has bought Chinese made EVs for testing and analysis. 

When approached by CarScoops about the rumors, Rivian said it wouldn’t comment on third-party photos. 

“It is standard practice across the industry to benchmark and study vehicles globally as part of product development,” they added.

Xiaomi’s Milestones: from budget tech to the ‘Tesla killer’ 

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie