Xiaomi has established an advisory committee to review vehicle safety following deadly accidents involving its electric cars in China. The company will hold regular meetings with owners and experts after fatal crashes raised concerns about door malfunctions and driver assistance features.
Chinese technology company Xiaomi announced Friday it will establish an advisory panel to evaluate the safety of its electric vehicles following mounting concerns over several deadly crashes involving its cars.
The tech giant also intends to conduct routine discussions with vehicle owners, journalists, and safety specialists to gather feedback about their cars’ safety features. According to Hou Jinglei, who leads Xiaomi’s electric vehicle safety division, the initial meeting is scheduled for sometime in the first six months of this year. Hou made these remarks during a live broadcast from the company’s electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Beijing.
The automaker employs over 3,500 safety personnel, which includes a dedicated internal unit responsible for examining vehicle accidents.
A deadly collision last October involving Xiaomi’s SU7 model has drawn significant attention after forensic investigators determined the vehicle’s doors failed to operate following the crash due to electrical system failure. The driver died from burns after becoming trapped inside, according to reporting by Chinese publication Caixin, which cited official forensic documentation.
Chinese media outlet Yicai, which also covered the forensic findings, published an editorial Friday calling on Xiaomi to issue a complete recall of all original SU7 models to “fully address door handle safety risks.”
The company declined to provide a statement regarding these media reports.
Investigators continue examining another SU7 crash that occurred while the vehicle operated in driver assistance mode, resulting in three fatalities.
Authorities have not yet published official findings for either incident.
In September, Xiaomi distributed a software patch to over 115,000 SU7 vehicles to address problems with the assisted driving technology.
The manufacturer has ended production of the original SU7 model and plans to introduce an enhanced version of its popular sedan in April, featuring emergency power backup for the door systems.
Sales of the SU7, which competes directly with Tesla’s Model 3, reached more than 381,000 units through February.
The widespread coverage of these accidents has prompted stricter government oversight of marketing practices and safety requirements for driver assistance technology. Officials have also mandated the elimination of concealed door handles by 2027 and are evaluating potential speed restrictions for electric vehicles.
