China’s Electric-Vehicle Factories Have Become Tourist Hot Spots

Xiaomi released its first EV model, nan SU7, successful early 2024. By nan extremity of nan year, overseas diplomats, investors, and guests from different Chinese companies had already started arriving astatine nan company’s mill successful Beijing to participate successful one-off tours, but nan institution didn’t create a standardized acquisition for nan nationalist until nan commencement of 2025. At first, Xiaomi offered conscionable 3 tours pinch 20 participants each per month.

But nan excursion proved incredibly popular, and Xiaomi quickly began scheduling importantly much slots. In July, nan institution said it will connection 1 circuit each weekday and six tours astir weekends, accommodating much than 1,100 visitors successful total. When July registration opened, however, complete 27,000 applications flooded successful overnight, according to nan Xiaomi app—so nan chances of snagging a summons stay slim.

Those fortunate capable to unafraid a spot tin expect to first beryllium taken to an grounds hallway to study astir notable innovations successful Xiaomi’s electrical cars. The visitors past hop connected a shuttle and spell into 3 moving accumulation lines retired of six full to observe nan workers and robots successful action.

Afterwards, they tin trial thrust a exemplary Xiaomi SU7 connected a racecourse, wherever a trained racecar driver demonstrates really nan car tin accelerate from 0 to 60 mph successful conscionable a fewer seconds. “It felt awesome—takes disconnected really fast, pinch an instant kick,” Zhao tells WIRED. Recently, Xiaomi besides started trading affordable meals astatine nan mill and souvenirs to complete nan experience.

Another visitant notes that nan shuttle will temporarily extremity if it gets successful nan measurement of a robot, which is programmed to do its occupation connected a strictly timed schedule and is frankincense little elastic than a quality worker. Yuanyuan recalls that aft nan circuit ended, her girl remarked: “I request to study harder, different I won’t beryllium capable to find a occupation successful nan future. It’ll beryllium robots doing each nan work.”

Xiaomi’s mill is simply a premier illustration of really Chinese companies are quickly evolving from labor-intensive manufacturing to highly automated manufacturing, acknowledgment to caller advances successful robotics and artificial intelligence. In caller years, nan Chinese authorities has been heavy promoting nan thought of “lights-out factories” that require nary quality labor, meaning nan machines tin toil distant successful nan acheronian without anyone needing to move nan lights on. Companies that person managed to execute this precocious level of automation, from Foxconn to home appliance giants, person turned their factories into trading opportunities, inviting humans to marvel astatine nan exertion alternatively than do work.

Nio, different starring EV shaper successful China, has been publically showcasing 1 of its highly automated factories since precocious 2023. In 2024, complete 130,000 group visited nan factory, wherever definite accumulation lines for illustration nan assemblage shop person achieved 100 percent automation, according to a connection sent by nan company. Zhang says erstwhile her latest circuit group visited Nio’s mill successful nan metropolis of Hefei past month, nan participants were capable to position 3 retired of nan 4 accumulation lines. (The car coating process, however, was excluded from nationalist visits.)