Why a Chinese University Banned Xiaomi Cars — But Still Lets In Tesla

A university in southern China has quietly banned Xiaomi cars from its campus for more than a year — while letting in Tesla and other electric vehicles without issue. No one at the school will explain the discrepancy.

The policy came to light after a social media post about Guangzhou Huali College went viral over the weekend. A reporter from Jiangxi Broadcast Television’s City Live program called the school’s security office in the Zengcheng district to ask about it. The answer was blunt: Xiaomi cars are not allowed on campus, and that rule has been in effect since last year, ordered by the university’s leadership.

Other vehicles, including Tesla, can enter after registering in advance. Only Xiaomi is singled out.

Guangzhou Huali College is a private undergraduate institution approved by China’s Ministry of Education. It was founded in 1999 as an independent college affiliated with Guangdong University of Technology and transitioned to its current name in 2021. In 2024, the school added six new majors, including new energy vehicle engineering — making the Xiaomi ban particularly ironic.

The university has not given a public explanation for why Xiaomi cars are excluded. The security office said the directive came from the school’s leadership but did not provide a rationale. Xiaomi, which entered the EV market in 2024 with the SU7 sedan, has become one of China’s most visible electric car brands, competing directly with Tesla and BYD.

The lack of transparency has fueled speculation online. In China, where state-affiliated institutions often play by unwritten rules, a single-vehicle ban that defies easy explanation is the kind of story that gets people talking — precisely because nobody in charge seems willing to say much about it.