Xiaomi SU7 EV involved in fatal crash, leaving three dead: Accident raises questions about smart driving systems

Xiaomi has acknowledged that its SU7 electric car was involved in an accident that took place in China on an expressway, reported Bloomberg. As per local media reports, the accident caused the lives of three people which has sparked scrutiny over using the smart driving technology in advanced vehicles.

Police reached the scene immediately and are investigating the matter, which occurred on an expressway in Anhui province of China on 29 March 2025, informed Xiaomi, in a post on its Weibo account. However, the tech giant did not reveal specific details about the crash, injuries and fatalities.

The Chinese automaker stated in its initial report that the advanced driver assistance system of the EV was engaged for less than 20 minutes before the crash took place. Notably, the alerts were also issued as the driver was not holding the steering wheel, said the company report. However, the driver gained back the steering control after a few seconds of receiving the second warning about obstacles on the road.

Bloomberg report indicates that the EV caught fire after the crash and was engulfed in flames. The rollout of advanced driver assistance technology, which still requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel and stay alert to surrounding traffic, has led to concerns that some people are placing too much faith in the technology and not paying attention to the road.

Tesla Inc. has faced several probes in the US into whether its partial-automation system marketed as Full Self-Driving is defective after multiple crashes, one of which resulted in a fatality.

The US automaker has also been involved in high-profile accidents in China, including one in 2021 when the owner of one of its cars jumped on top of a display vehicle at the Shanghai auto show and yelled that members of her family almost died because the car’s brakes failed.

Xiaomi, better known for its smartphones, has had instant success with its move into EVs, last month raising its 2025 sales target to 350,000 units.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)