What happened

Around 3 am, the Xiaomi car struck another vehicle and a roadside barrier before veering off the road and striking a median bursting into flames.

The fire engulfed the cabin within minutes and witnesses tried unsuccessfully to rescue the driver as the vehicle’s power failure locked its flush electronic door handles. Firefighters later recovered the victim’s remains. 

Police say they suspect the driver, named Deng, had been under the influence of alcohol at the time, but full investigations are ongoing.

The incident follows earlier scrutiny of Xiaomi’s automated systems after multiple SU7-related crashes, including one ruled linked to the self-driving feature’s disengagement before impact.

Why it happened

While preliminary police investigations suggest the driver was under the influence of alcohol during the incident, the difficulty in unlocking the car's doors and the rapidity of the fire raise serious safety and system design concerns about the design of it's automated and electronic safety features and the limited manual overrides. 

According to the police, the car's autonomous driver assist system was apparently engaged - potentially contributing to the driver’s reliance on automation. And once the crash occurred, the vehicle’s safety systems, including electronic door locks, failed to enable emergency egress, thus trapping the driver. 

Xiaomi declined to issue a formal statement on the crash, but investor reaction was harsh and immediate, wiping nearly 9 percent off its share price.