Three people died after a Xiaomi electric vehicle (EV) crashed into a highway guardrail and caught fire in China. According to the Southern Metropolis Daily, a Xiaomi SU7 crashed on a highway in eastern Anhui Province last week, resulting in an explosion and casualties. Xiaomi dispatched a special response team to investigate the accident alongside police and victims’ families.
Videos circulating online show the vehicle exploding into flames after hitting the highway guardrail. A victim’s family member wrote on social media, “On the evening of March 29, the vehicle hit the guardrail, the doors locked, and the battery ignited, causing all three occupants to perish in the fire.”
Xiaomi confirmed via its official Weibo account that its SU7 standard model was involved in an accident on the De Shang Highway in Anhui Province at 10:44 PM. The vehicle reportedly operated in Navigate on Autopilot mode at 72 mph (116 km/h) before the incident. The accident occurred in a construction zone where traffic was redirected to the opposite lane. The vehicle reportedly detected danger, issued a warning, and decelerated. The driver then switched to manual mode and attempted to slow down but collided with the guardrail. The last recorded speed before impact was approximately 60 mph (97 km/h). Xiaomi also noted that the driver was not the vehicle’s owner.
The SU7 is Xiaomi’s first EV, launched in March 2023, three years after the electronics giant announced its entry into the EV market. With a design reminiscent of the Porsche Taycan, the SU7 extends Xiaomi’s smart ecosystem into the automotive sector. The vehicle’s batteries are reportedly sourced from Chinese manufacturer BYD and global leader CATL.
Xiaomi recently began pre-sales for its high-performance SU7 Ultra model and raised its 2024 sales target to 350,000 units, signaling ambitious growth plans. However, this fatal accident will likely overshadow the company’s EV aspirations. Following the accident, Xiaomi’s stock price dropped more than 5%, adding to an 18% decline after the company’s recent $5.5 billion share sale to fund its EV business expansion.
This accident highlights Xiaomi’s ongoing quality control challenges in the automotive sector. Last May, the company faced issues with vehicles stalling mid-road due to system malfunctions. In November, over 70 damage cases were reported due to automatic parking feature errors, necessitating compensatory repairs.
