Two years after announcing the formation of its electric vehicle unit and its plans to manufacture electric cars, Xiaomi, the smartphone company, has finally obtained approval from China's National Development and Reform Commission to begin production of its electric vehicles.

Securing this approval has been a challenging task for Xiaomi, as the Chinese government has tasked a specialized committee with regulating new investments in the automotive industry and evaluating the feasibility of projects. This decision was driven by the increasing number of electric vehicles and a slowdown in demand for them.

Reuters reported that Xiaomi is the fourth company to gain approval from this committee in the last six years, a feat that has eluded many other companies.

However, this isn't the end of the roadblocks for Xiaomi. There's still another regulatory hurdle to clear for this project, which involves obtaining approval from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). MIIT will review the new vehicles to ensure they meet safety and technology standards. Once this process is complete, images and technical details will be published on MIIT's website, allowing the media to access information about these new cars before their official launch.

It's worth noting that some leaked images earlier this year showed the Xiaomi MS11, a four-door coupe sedan resembling the McLaren 750S in the front, featuring flush door handles, Brembo brakes, and a roof-mounted LIDAR sensor for advanced autonomous driving features.

Xiaomi plans to invest $10 billion over the next decade in electric vehicle projects and has already applied for the construction of a new factory in Beijing capable of producing 200,000 electric cars annually once it reaches full capacity. However, according to Reuters reports, the factory is expected to produce only 100,000 cars in 2024, its first year of operation.