Robots building cars
Another 10-minute drive from Magic-World reveals the Xiaomi Auto Super Factory, a silver-gray futuristic complex.
Designated as a Beijing industrial tourism demonstration site in 2024, the factory has opened its doors to the public.
"We're not just showing how cars are made, but also presenting cutting-edge technological innovation and intelligent manufacturing directly to the public," says Li Mengnan, who works in visitor services at the factory.
Upon entry, everyone looks up at a real SU7 car suspended in midair on a Mobius strip track.
"It symbolizes endless cycles, endless exploration, and endless possibilities," Li explains.
The exhibition hall also includes a human-vehicle-home interaction zone. Visitors can experience controlling smart home devices — lights, air conditioning, curtains, and robots — through simulated cockpits.
Then, they board shuttle buses to the factory floor, traveling through dedicated viewing corridors that pass by the die-casting, stamping, and body assembly workshops.
The die-casting workshop features Xiaomi's self-developed 9,100-ton integrated die-casting equipment, which is a visual spectacle. Molten aluminum at 700 C is injected into molds within 100 milliseconds, producing one integrated die-cast component every two minutes. It consolidates what once required 72 separate parts.
The parts then enter CT scanners.
"Though you can't see the internal inspection process, from the outside it's clearly massive, professional-grade equipment," Li says.
The body shop showcases over 700 robots working in precisely choreographed synchronization. More than 90 autonomous mobile robots transport medium-to-large components with 100 percent automation, requiring no guide wires. They navigate autonomously using laser radar, like self-driving vehicles within the factory. Over 260 connection robots then employ advanced techniques including spot welding, self-piercing riveting, and thermal friction drilling to join 2,340 connection points and apply 92 meters of structural adhesive, forming the aluminum-steel hybrid body frame.
Post-tour options include the go-kart track, which opened on March 1 and spans 580 meters with 13 turns. Dual-motor electric karts feature simple controls and children over 12 can participate with parental supervision.
For people in organized groups, the factory offers the ultimate test ride on its dedicated track. Professional drivers demonstrate the vehicle's acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 1.98 seconds, allowing passengers to experience the visceral sensation of being pressed firmly into the seat.
The three stops in Beijing E-Town prove that the future is on the factory floor, in the robot's "hand", waiting to be touched.
The charm of tech travel, as Meng from Robot Mall observes, is most evident in the fact that people keep returning.
He also points out that more tech companies are willing to showcase their products here. "A robot can learn from every interaction, which is valuable data for its producer for product upgrades," he explains.
For him, that two-way street between builders and visitors is the whole point.
