Chinese electric vehicle maker Xiaomi has pledged full cooperation with a police investigation following a fatal crash involving its SU7 model, which was in assisted driving mode moments before the collision, report AFP/ BSS.
The accident occurred on Saturday night on the Dezhou-Shangrao Expressway in Anhui province, claiming the lives of three college students. According to a company statement, the vehicle was using Xiaomi’s Navigate On Autopilot (NAO) system, traveling at 116 km/h (72 mph) before detecting an obstacle in a roadwork zone. The system issued a warning and handed control back to the driver, but seconds later, the car crashed into a concrete barrier at 97 km/h.
Footage circulating online showed the vehicle engulfed in flames, with later images revealing the burned-out wreckage. The incident has sparked widespread debate on Chinese social media about Xiaomi’s assisted driving technology, the fire risk associated with electric vehicles, and the car’s emergency response mechanisms.
Xiaomi founder Lei Jun addressed the tragedy in a social media post late Tuesday, saying he was “heavy-hearted” and that the company would “fully cooperate with the police investigation.”
The driver’s mother, in a post identified by Weibo and local media, accused Xiaomi of failing to reach out to the victims’ families. "Why did the car catch fire after the collision? Could the doors be opened in an emergency? We just want answers," she wrote.
Xiaomi, a tech giant known for its smartphones and electronics, launched the SU7 in March 2024, marking its entry into the EV market. The model quickly gained popularity, selling over 200,000 units in its first year at a base price of around 210,000 yuan ($28,900).
Since the crash, Xiaomi’s stock has fallen by approximately five percent.
China’s EV industry is at the forefront of assisted driving technology, with Xiaomi advertising its intelligent driving system’s ability to autonomously overtake and change lanes on highways. However, the company stresses that the system does not replace driver responsibility.
In response to growing scrutiny, Xiaomi has sent a team to investigate the accident and stated that it has been attempting to contact the victims’ families through local authorities.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
