Recently, a Xiaomi YU7 Max was spotted traveling along the I-5 Interstate Highway in the United States, notable for its Illinois manufacturer's license plate. The first images of the vehicle surfaced on Xiaohongshu, triggering speculation that it might be a test car for Rivian. This assumption arises because Rivian's vehicle production facility is situated in Illinois, and the license plate number 132 has been previously observed on Rivian's test vehicles.

Currently, Rivian is deeply engaged in the development of its R2 model, which is priced at around $45,000 and is slated for launch before June. Earlier, Rivian's CEO mentioned that the company has acquired and utilized several Chinese vehicles for internal testing and competitive analysis.

According to reports, the presence of the Xiaomi YU7 Max in the United States is part of routine product research activities. In response to inquiries, Rivian declined to comment on third-party captured content. However, the company underscored that conducting systematic research and benchmarking against global models during the product development phase is a standard practice within the industry.