Recently, while (pretending to) study seriously by watching short videos, I often came across information about Xiaomi Maps. A popular speculation is that Xiaomi's nationwide road testing of the Yu9 is not just for vehicle validation but also for data collection. It sounded quite plausible. So I decided to verify it. Due to my limited connections and possible product confidentiality, I could not obtain substantial inside information. However, I have organized the publicly available information I could find.

PS: Additional information is welcome.

1. Qualifications First

Those in the GIS industry know that having money is not enough to engage in mapping in China – proper qualifications are required. If Xiaomi wants to create its own maps, it needs at least two qualifications: the Class A qualification for navigation electronic map production and the Class A surveying and mapping qualification for internet map services. The former is for producing maps, the latter for providing internet map services.

Currently, the barrier to obtaining the Class A navigation electronic map production qualification is extremely high. Only 19 companies hold it:

  • AutoNavi Software Co., Ltd. (Alibaba, AutoNavi Map)
  • Beijing NavInfo Co., Ltd. (NavInfo)
  • Beijing Changdi Wanfang Technology Co., Ltd. (subsidiary of Baidu, DaodaoTong)
  • Tencent Dadi Tongtu (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (Tencent Maps)
  • Shenzhen Careland Technology Co., Ltd. (Careland)
  • Speed Space-Time Information Technology Co., Ltd.
  • Fengtu Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (subsidiary of SF Express)
  • Shenyang Meixing Technology Co., Ltd. (Meixing Navigation)
  • Beijing Huawei Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (Huawei smart car HD maps)
  • Beijing Lingtu Software Technology Co., Ltd.
  • Liaoning Hongtu Chuangzhan Surveying and Mapping Investigation Co., Ltd.
  • Aerospace Hongtu Information Technology Co., Ltd.
  • Guizhou Kuandeng Zhiyun Technology Co., Ltd. (Kuandeng Technology, autonomous driving HD maps)
  • Hebei Quandao Technology Co., Ltd.
  • Hubei ECARX Technology Co., Ltd. (Geely ECARX)
  • Beijing Meida Zhida Technology Co., Ltd. (subsidiary of Meituan)
  • Zhejiang Academy of Surveying and Mapping Science and Technology (public institution)
  • Jiangsu Provincial Surveying and Mapping Engineering Institute (public institution)
  • Jiangsu Provincial Geomatics Center (public institution)

PS: The above data comes from the internet. Please point out any errors.

The Class A surveying and mapping qualification for internet map services is relatively easier to obtain, and there are too many companies to list here. But overall, Xiaomi does not possess the core Class A navigation electronic map production qualification. Does this mean Xiaomi is blocked at the qualification level? Not necessarily. What does Xiaomi have? Money. In 2014, Xiaomi strategically invested in Careland through its wholly-owned investment platforms Tianjin Jinxing Investment and Tianjin Shunmi Investment. So from a qualification perspective, it does not seem to be a problem.

2. Hiring Signals

Since qualifications are feasible, an external indicator of whether Xiaomi is actually working on maps is its job postings. I searched for related positions on Boss (a recruitment platform), as shown below:

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The map-related positions I found are mostly in HD mapping and autonomous driving. No official Xiaomi group positions for map data collection were found (possibly outsourced). From the hiring perspective, Xiaomi's current roles do not seem to focus on developing a "Xiaomi Maps" app, but rather on autonomous driving.

3. Patents

After looking at hiring, let's examine the current patent applications. I performed a rough search on the national patent platform using two entities: Xiaomi EV Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd., with the keyword "map".

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The most active entity is Xiaomi EV Technology Co., Ltd., with the latest patents from March 2026. The general direction aligns with the hiring logic – the core focus is on autonomous driving navigation patents, indicating that Xiaomi is indeed putting effort into this area. For Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd., the latest patents are mostly from 2024-2025, mainly in wearables and smart home.

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4. Strategic Layout

Beyond qualifications, hiring, and patents, Xiaomi's layout in the industrial chain is quite clear: in 2014, it invested in Careland to secure qualifications and a foothold in in-car navigation. After entering the automotive space, it acquired DeepMotion to strengthen perception and localization, and invested in Zongmu, Hesai, RoboSense, etc., to fill gaps in LiDAR and automotive-grade chips. The SU7's infotainment system natively uses AutoNavi for human-readable navigation, while the self-developed Xiaomi Pilot handles autonomous driving. On the mobile side, it deeply integrates with AutoNavi/Baidu and uses HyperOS for vehicle-phone handoff. The data collected from road testing primarily feeds the autonomous driving model and automated HD map updates.

All signs indicate that Xiaomi is not keen on drawing base maps from scratch. Unlike Huawei, which developed its own Petal Maps and obtained qualifications for overseas expansion, Xiaomi follows a map provider cooperation + spatial intelligence self-research model.

Conclusion

So, will Xiaomi develop its own full-scale maps in the future? Here is my bold speculation: In the short term (1-3 years), Xiaomi is unlikely to launch a fully self-developed civilian map. From cost and qualification perspectives, basic map surveying requires a Class A surveying qualification and an annual investment of billions of yuan for data collection, updates, and compliance review – a long cycle with slow returns, offering low cost-effectiveness for Xiaomi at this stage. From a demand perspective, general-purpose base map services are already highly mature, and reinventing the wheel does not align with Xiaomi's style. However, machine-perception spatial intelligence, scenario adaptation, and ecosystem integration will become the next battleground in the mapping domain: redefining the boundaries of "location services", turning maps from a standalone navigation app into the underlying infrastructure integrated into mobile operating systems, smart vehicles, and smart homes – enabling personalized, all-scenario intelligent location services.

Finally, the above information is personal speculation. I am generally not good at predictions (my stock portfolio remains in the red), so feel free to correct me.