Report claims Ford, Xiaomi held talks for EV partnership: American carmaker and Chinese tech company respond

American carmaker Ford and Chinese conglomerate Xiaomi have denied the claims in a report that said both these companies explored a partnership to pave the way for Chinese cars to gain a foothold in the US. Both the companies have dubbed the story “completely false”.“This story is completely false. There is no truth to it,” said Mark Truby, Chief Communications Officer, Ford Motor Company, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).“This report about a joint venture with Ford Motor Company is completely false. Xiaomi does not sell its products and services in the United States and is not negotiating with any companies to do so,” Xiaomi said on X.Citing four people familiar with the matter, the Financial Times Ford reported that both the companies held preliminary discussions to explore a joint venture for manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) on US soil. The report also pointed out that Ford CEO Jim Farley has been publicly shared admiration for Xiaomi’s automotive debut, the SU7 sedan, and even imported an SU7 for his personal use.However, Farley has also described Chinese EV competitors as an “existential threat” to Western automakers, famously noting that China can “put us all out of business” in the country. He has previously said that Chinese companies are “absolutely coming” to the US.Moreover, when Farley hosted President Donald Trump at a Ford truck plant in Dearborn outside Detroit Earlier this month, Trump told business leaders that if Chinese companies “want to come in and build a plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbours, that’s great, I love that”.The report has also attracted comments from political figures like John Moolenaar, chair of the House China committee, who warned that any tie-up would be a betrayal of American interests. “Ford would be turning its back on American and allied partners, and it will make our country further dependent on China,” Moolenaar told the FT. Notably, in 2024, the Biden administration (in effect) banned Chinese vehicles from the US by putting 100% tariffs on car imports from China.