A fatal crash involving a Xiaomi Corp. SU7 electric sedan on Monday has renewed concerns over electrically powered car-door handles, after bystanders were unable to open the doors and rescue the driver before it burst into flames.
The incident, which occurred in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, was suspected to have been caused by drunk driving and killed the motorist, police said in a statement, as per Boomerang.
Although authorities did not specify the vehicle model, Chinese media reports and videos on platforms like Weibo suggest it was a Xiaomi SU7.
Was electronics responsible for driver's death?
Video and eyewitness accounts showed bystanders trying but failing to open the doors of the burning car to rescue an occupant. Personnel at the scene eventually used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze, local reports said.
It seems that the electronic has killed the driver as the bystanders couldn't open the doors because it was jammed after the crash and maybe the situation would be different if it was the manual car.
Car crash sparks concern
A fatal SU7 crash earlier this year raised concerns about the vehicle’s smart driving features and caused Xiaomi’s shares to tumble. The incident could also intensify scrutiny on electronic door handles, a design popularised by Tesla and now common in modern EVs.
Unlike mechanical models, electronic door handles rely on sensors and electricity and may fail during a fire or power outage. China is considering a ban on such electric door handles to address safety risks linked to the feature, state-backed media reported in late September.
Shares fall
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi saw its shares fall by over 5% on Monday, following reports that the doors of one of its electric vehicles failed to open after a fiery crash in China that left one person dead, NBC reported.
The stock slid as much as 8.7% in Hong Kong, marking its steepest drop since April, before paring losses after images and video of a burning Xiaomi SU7 sedan in Chengdu circulated on Chinese social media.
The incident, which occurred in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, was suspected to have been caused by drunk driving and killed the motorist, police said in a statement, as per Boomerang.
Although authorities did not specify the vehicle model, Chinese media reports and videos on platforms like Weibo suggest it was a Xiaomi SU7.
Smart car Xiaomi SU7 driver DIES in China: after the accident, the car’s doors were BLOCKED — Bloomberg
— RT (@RT_com) October 13, 2025
When it caught fire the driver could not be saved due to the electronics pic.twitter.com/KxJpv00Ozf
Was electronics responsible for driver's death?
Video and eyewitness accounts showed bystanders trying but failing to open the doors of the burning car to rescue an occupant. Personnel at the scene eventually used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze, local reports said.
It seems that the electronic has killed the driver as the bystanders couldn't open the doors because it was jammed after the crash and maybe the situation would be different if it was the manual car.
Car crash sparks concern
A fatal SU7 crash earlier this year raised concerns about the vehicle’s smart driving features and caused Xiaomi’s shares to tumble. The incident could also intensify scrutiny on electronic door handles, a design popularised by Tesla and now common in modern EVs.
Unlike mechanical models, electronic door handles rely on sensors and electricity and may fail during a fire or power outage. China is considering a ban on such electric door handles to address safety risks linked to the feature, state-backed media reported in late September.
Shares fall
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi saw its shares fall by over 5% on Monday, following reports that the doors of one of its electric vehicles failed to open after a fiery crash in China that left one person dead, NBC reported.
The stock slid as much as 8.7% in Hong Kong, marking its steepest drop since April, before paring losses after images and video of a burning Xiaomi SU7 sedan in Chengdu circulated on Chinese social media.
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