Xiaomi has hired Dieter Lorenz, Tesla’s Senior Director of Delivery Operations for Central Europe, as its new Head of Delivery and Accounting Europe. The move suggests that Xiaomi is aggressively building an operations infrastructure in Europe ahead of its confirmed market entry in 2027.
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Lorenz is not the only former Tesla employee to join Xiaomi. At least one other former Tesla European operations employee has also joined the company, suggesting a targeted hiring effort aimed at acquiring Tesla's European accounting expertise.
Lorenz spent over six years at Tesla in Germany, progressing through various senior operations roles. He started as Operations Supervisor in early 2020, progressed to Operations Manager Germany, then expanded his responsibilities to cover Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, and eventually all of Central Europe. By September 2024, he held the title of Senior Director of Delivery Operations for Central Europe, a key accounting role for Tesla.
In a LinkedIn post announcing his departure, Lorenz expressed his excitement for his new role at Xiaomi, stating that he is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Lorenz's hiring is in line with Xiaomi's overall strategy. The company opened its European Research and Design Center in Munich in September 2025, led by Rudolf Dittrich, former head of BMW Motorrad, and Kai Langer, former head of design at BMW i. This center is intended to serve as Xiaomi's base for European expansion.
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Xiaomi is moving beyond research and design into operational aspects such as delivery accounting, registrations and after-sales services. Reports indicate that Xiaomi is actively looking for a country manager, a head of retail operations and vehicle accounting specialists in several European markets, including Germany, France and Spain.
This approach reflects a serious commitment to selling cars in Europe by 2027. The hiring of a Head of Delivery and Accounting for the continent indicates a plan to deliver cars there.
Lorenz’s departure adds to a trend of talent leaving Tesla across various functions. There have been numerous senior departures since mid-2024, affecting finance, engineering, manufacturing, sales and program management. Recently, Tesla’s head of customer experience left for Coinbase, and a key leader in Cybercab also left.
The loss of experienced staff in its European operations is particularly challenging for Tesla. The automaker's European registrations fell significantly in 2025, falling 27.8% to just 235,000 units. The loss of people who understand efficient delivery operations across Europe, especially during a period of declining sales, is exacerbating the situation.
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Xiaomi, on the other hand, is making significant strides. The company recently appointed Kong Yanshuang, former Tesla China general manager, to lead its auto sales operations. It delivered over 410,000 electric vehicles in 2025 and is targeting 550,000 in 2026. Its refreshed SU7 sedan received 15,000 orders in just 34 minutes, and the company has confirmed 2027 as the first year for its European sales.
