Xiaomi’s YU7 electric SUV has picked up a major international engineering accolade, with its 20-in-1 integrated die-cast aluminium triangular beam named “Best Structure” at the 2025 International Die Casting Competition in North America, the top honour at the event.
This was announced by Xiaomi CEO Jun Lei on Weibo, the Chinese version of X (formerly Twitter).
The competition is organised by the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA), regarded as the region’s most established body for the die-casting industry.
Its awards are judged on structural performance, integration, innovation and manufacturing quality, giving the YU7’s win weight beyond the Chinese market.
At the heart of the recognition is the YU7’s front triangular beam, a single large casting that does far more than support bodywork.
In a crash, it acts as one of the main load paths, directing impact forces across the vehicle and into the obstacle, increasing the amount of energy the body can absorb and helping to keep the passenger cell intact.
The same part also carries much of the car’s thermal hardware. Mounting points for the air-conditioning unit, compressor, refrigerant lines and a combined cooling module are built into the casting.
This cross-system integration allows Xiaomi to pack the front compartment tightly and still free up a sizeable 141-litre storage space under the bonnet.
The beam sits within a wider structural package that includes an integrated die-cast rear floor and a cell-to-body (CTB) layout, where the battery pack, floor and body work together as a single unit.
Xiaomi quoted body torsional stiffness of 47,610 Nm/deg for the YU7, describing it as a leading figure for its class and a foundation for both safety and stable handling.
The award comes as Xiaomi’s car division ramps up. In October 2025, the company’s new energy vehicles recorded 48,654 retail sales in China, with YU7 wholesale volumes exceeding 33,662 units, putting it ahead of the Tesla Model Y for that month. Xiaomi said it will continue to invest in structural engineering and safety to support future models.
