Xiaomi demands payout from supplier after car designs leaked

Over the Chinese New Year, images purportedly showing mock ups of the front and rear of Xiaomi’s upcoming electric vehicle (EV) spread on social media, as well as a full view of what appeared to be a white compact sedan, with a license plate that read “MS11”. — Reuters

SHANGHAI: China’s Xiaomi said on Feb 2 it had imposed a 1mil yuan (RM631,421) penalty on a supplier after it leaked early design drafts of an upcoming car model.

On its official Weibo page, a spokesperson wrote Xiaomi had “dealt seriously” with a Beijing-based molding technology company which on Jan 22 publicly revealed images of an upcoming car’s front and rear bumpers, violating a confidentiality agreement.