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Xiaomi announced a hiring spree for self-driving engineers on Wednesday, as the Chinese smartphone maker accelerates plans for self-branded electric and autonomous vehicles. Xiaomi is seeking 500 experts in autonomous vehicles nationwide, according to a post published by chief executive Lei Jun on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. [Xiaomi announcement, in Chinese]

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi released Q4 and 2021 earnings on Tuesday. Xiaomi smartphone shipments hit a new record, growing 30% year-over-year to 190.3 million units globally. Xiaomi’s 2021 revenue up 33.5% in a year to RMB 328.3 billion ($51.49 billion), while gross profit grew 58.5% to RMB 58.26 billion. The company earned RMB 85.58 billion in revenue in Q4 with a 29.4% quarterly growth. In addition, the company’s Internet of Things (IoT) and lifestyle products have also seen a 26.1% yearly increase. [Xiaomi press release]

Smartmi, a Chinese home appliance manufacturer backed by smartphone maker Xiaomi, has formed a small group researching electric vehicles (EVs) and is in the early phase, according to Xiaomi’s spokesman Wang Hua’s Tuesday Weibo post. Wang was responding to Chinese media reports of Smartmi considering making EVs, to which Wang said Xiaomi wasn’t aware. Wang added that Xiaomi is not involved in Smartmi’s decision-making process. [Wang Hua’s Weibo, in Chinese]

Lei Jun, chairman of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, announced on Wednesday that the company has registered a car company called Xiaomi Qiche, or Xiaomi Automobile (our translation). The company has RMB 10 billion ($1.5 billion) in registered capital, with Lei being the CEO. [Lei Jun on Weibo, in Chinese]

Xiaomi India will partner with Shell to sell Xiaomi products at Shell gas stations, according to a release from Xiaomi India. The stations will sell Xiaomi accessories like smart bands, earbuds, and beard trimmers. Shell has more than 283 fuel stations in India. Xiaomi accounts for a 21% share of the Indian smartphone market, shipping 9.3 million units in Q4 2021, according to Canalys. [CRN India]

Three major Chinese phone manufacturers, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, informed their suppliers that their order volume from July will be 20% less than expected, Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday. The report cites sources who said that Xiaomi initially planned to ship 200 million smartphone units in 2022, but the company has since cut that number to 160-180 million. Vivo and Oppo reportedly informed suppliers that orders for the second and third quarters of 2022 will be 20% lower than expected. As the Shanghai lockdown continues, the report states that disrupted supply chains and weakened demand are considerations for supply reduction.

Officials in the east China city of Hefei are in talks with Xiaomi to set up an electric vehicle (EV) plant, 36Kr reports. Hefei-based JAC Motors is expected to assemble cars for Xiaomi, said the report. JAC Motors also assembles cars for Chinese EV maker Nio in Hefei. Xiaomi announced it would invest $10 billion into making EVs in March. Officials from cities including Xi’an and Wuhan have also expressed interest in hosting the plant. [36Kr, in Chinese]

Self-driving startup Geometrical Pal raised RMB 400 million ($62 million) in pre-Series A funding from backers including Matrix Partners China and Hubei Xiaomi Changjiang Industrial Investment Fund, an investment firm formed by the namesake smartphone maker, Chinese media reported Monday. This comes just two months after Xiaomi led a $190 million Series D for driver assistance system developer Zongmu, as the consumer electronics giant moves forward with driverless car technology. [36Kr, in Chinese]

Lei Jun, CEO of major Chinese phone maker Xiaomi, stated on Wednesday that the company’s second smart factory will begin production in late 2023. A representative from the consumer electronics firm told TechNode that the firm began building the fully automated factory in Beijing’s suburban Changping district last July. Covering 58,300 square meters, the new factory is expected to have an annual output of 10 million smartphones, with an estimated production value of $60 billion. Xiaomi’s first smart factory is also located on the outskirts of Beijing, in Yizhuang, and began operating in 2019. [Xiaomi statement, in Chinese]

Xiaomi has invested in AI Micron, a Shanghai-based semiconductor company that focuses on designing microchips specifically for in-car video transmission. It’s the latest bet by the smartphone giant on the country’s smart electric vehicle sector. The five-year-old chip developer has raised its registered capital by 13.3% to RMB 1.84 million ($291,600), with Hubei Xiaomi Changjiang Industrial Investment Fund, an investment firm formed by Xiaomi, being added as a shareholder, according to corporate data site Tianyancha. AI Micron is also backed by state-owned automaker BAIC. [PE Daily, in Chinese]