A fatal crash involving Xiaomi’s new electric vehicle (EV) has sparked widespread concern and raised questions about the safety of assisted driving technologies. The incident, which occurred on the night of Saturday, March 30, 2024, resulted in the deaths of three college students on the Dezhou-Shangrao Expressway in Anhui province. The vehicle, a Xiaomi SU7, was operating in its “Navigate On Autopilot” (NAO) mode, a form of semi-autonomous driving, at the time of the accident.
According to Xiaomi, the vehicle was traveling at 116 km/h (72 mph) on a highway section with ongoing roadwork. As the car approached an obstacle, the system issued a warning and attempted to hand control over to the driver. However, moments later, the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier, with the car continuing to travel at approximately 97 km/h (60 mph) upon impact. Following the crash, footage surfaced showing the vehicle engulfed in flames, raising further concerns about the safety of the car’s design and the effectiveness of its emergency systems.
Xiaomi, a global leader in consumer electronics, entered the automotive sector with the launch of the SU7 in March 2024. The company has promoted its intelligent driving system as capable of performing tasks like lane changes and overtaking on highways, though it stresses that it is not a substitute for human drivers. The company has since vowed to cooperate with a police investigation into the incident and has dispatched a team to examine the crash. Xiaomi founder Lei Jun expressed his condolences on social media, stating that the company is committed to getting to the bottom of the incident.
The crash has sparked backlash online, with many questioning why the vehicle caught fire and whether the doors were easily accessible for emergency responders. Additionally, a Weibo post from the mother of the driver criticized Xiaomi for their lack of direct communication with the victims’ families and for not taking the lives of the students seriously.
The incident has raised serious questions about the future of assisted driving technologies, especially in light of China’s ambitions to become a global leader in the EV market. Xiaomi’s share price has already seen a five percent drop since the accident, reflecting growing public skepticism about the safety of the company’s vehicles.
