Tech giant Xiaomi faced its steepest market decline since April after a fatal Xiaomi SU7 crash in Chengdu, China, exposed critical electric vehicle safety concerns. Xiaomi’s shares tumbled over 5.7%, wiping out billions in market value as investors confronted uncomfortable questions about the company’s rushed entry into automotive manufacturing and the engineering shortcuts to get there.
Xiaomi
Electronic Door Locks Trap Driver in Burning Vehicle
The incident occurred when a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra collided with a median barrier at high speed, immediately bursting into flames. Bystanders desperately attempted to rescue the trapped driver, but the vehicle’s electronic door handle system malfunctioned after impact, preventing anyone from opening the doors. The driver sadly perished in the inferno while would-be rescuers watched helplessly outside.
This tragedy highlights a disturbing trend in modern door handle design: manufacturers prioritizing sleek aesthetics over reliable emergency access. The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra features flush, electronically-controlled door handles that require electrical power to function. This means the door opening mechanism fails during crashes when power is lost. What was once a simple mechanical latch has become a complex electronic system with deadly consequences when it fails.
CarNewsChina
Tesla Under Scrutiny For Door Handles Too
Tesla is now redesigning its door handles after federal regulators launched investigations into reports that electronic handles failed, leaving children trapped inside vehicles. The NHTSA investigation found at least nine complaints, with four cases where parents smashed windows to free their kids. Tesla’s design chief announced plans to combine electric and manual door releases into a single, more intuitive mechanism, an admission that over-engineering basic safety features creates unacceptable risks.
Industry experts note that proper EV fire safety protocols require redundant mechanical door releases that function without power, a basic safety standard that Tesla is being forced to implement and that Xiaomi apparently failed to prioritize. As regulators worldwide scrutinize flush door handle failure risks, Xiaomi faces not only reputational damage but potential regulatory action.
Why It Matters
The swift market response reflects growing concerns about Xiaomi’s engineering capabilities. While the company made headlines with the SU7’s impressive performance specifications and competitive pricing, this fatal crash suggests those achievements came at the expense of fundamental safety features. The electronic door locks malfunction represents precisely the kind of over-engineering that creates unnecessary risk in life-or-death situations.
This incident serves as a stark reminder that automotive engineering requires decades of safety-focused expertise that some newer manufacturers cannot replicate through aggressive timelines and flashy specifications.
Xiaomi
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October 15, 2025 at 03:03PM