Autopilot was blamed for the first fatal accident of Xiaomi SU7 (3 photos)

The first fatal accident involving an electric sedan Xiaomi SU7 has been recorded in China. The car crashed into a concrete highway barrier, killing three people. Initially, the onboard driver assistance system was blamed for the collision, but according to preliminary information from the company itself, the equipment data does not confirm this.





The incident occurred in the Chinese province of Anhui. The electric car, approaching a fenced highway repair area, collided with a pole at a speed of 97 km/h, which was part of the fence. According to unconfirmed reports, after the accident, the SU7 caught fire, and the passengers were stuck in the cabin, unable to unlock the doors.

Regarding the self-locking locks, Xiaomi officially stated that the SU7 doors are equipped with mechanical handles that function even when the power supply is completely disconnected, but noted that it has no information on whether the sedan's doors were actually completely locked after the collision. As for the circumstances preceding the accident, the company quickly published a full chronology of events based on the car's data.



Shortly before the accident, the SU7 was moving under electronic control (it is especially noted that one of the basic modifications of the electric car with a simplified set of assistants was involved in the accident) at a speed of 116 km/h. On the route, there was a road repair zone with the redirection of traffic flow to the oncoming lane, and the electronics, having detected the fence, gave the driver a danger signal. He took control and tried to go around the obstacle, but apparently could not or did not have time to slow down and steer. Immediately after the collision, the "panic button" was activated, and emergency services were called to the scene. At the same time, the company noted that at the same time it contacted the official owner of the car and found out that he was not in the car.

Xiaomi announced the formation of its own investigative team, which was sent to the scene and will fully cooperate with the investigation. The company's CEO Lei Jun promised to make the process as transparent as possible.

Tesla electric cars, whose ability to conditionally autonomous movement is presented as one of the main advantages, have repeatedly participated in similar accidents, including fatal ones. At the same time, independent experts have tried several times to prove the imperfection of Tesla's proprietary electronic assistants.