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Industry View > The Chengdu Xiaomi SU7 caught fire after an accident, and the failed door rescue has raised safety concerns!
Keywords: Xiaomi SU7 Collides, Fire Breaks Out; Passersby Fail to Smash Windows, Raising Questions About Door Safety.
Several passersby attempted to break the windows and kick open the car doors with their bare hands—some even ended up bleeding—but despite their efforts, no amount of rescue action could stop the fire from spreading rapidly.
In the early hours of October 13, on Tianfu Avenue in Chengdu, Sichuan, an electric vehicle suspected to be a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra caught fire after a collision. Despite the intense flames, multiple bystanders joined forces to try and rescue the occupants, yet they were unable to open the car doors. Footage captured by a nearby dashcam showed that traffic was light at the time of the incident, and the vehicle had just overtaken a slower-moving car traveling at 104 km/h before the accident occurred.
After the crash, the vehicle quickly erupted into a full-blown blaze, prompting several people to rush to assist. Video footage revealed four individuals working together to pry open the SU7’s doors and windows, even resorting to "kicking and punching" to break the glass—but still, the doors remained firmly locked.
01 Accident Recap: Rapidly Spreading Flames Stymie Rescue Efforts
According to multiple videos circulating online, a Xiaomi SU7 crashed and burst into flames early this morning on Tianfu Avenue in Chengdu. Initial rescue attempts were tense, as reports indicated the driver was still trapped inside the vehicle. Following the collision, the car quickly ignited, prompting nearby drivers to immediately jump into action to help.
They tried various methods to break the windows—using bare hands to pound on them, kicking the glass, and even employing tools—but none succeeded in shattering the toughened window panes. Footage from the scene showed some bystanders sustaining injuries, including cuts and bleeding, during the rescue attempt. Others brought fire extinguishers and aimed them directly at the driver’s seat, but the fire spread so swiftly that rescuers could barely get close enough to intervene. Eventually, firefighters arrived on the scene and used water cannons along with fire-retardant foam to extinguish the blaze. A witness at the scene later revealed that emergency personnel ultimately had to use a chainsaw to cut through the vehicle’s body.
02 Door Handle Design: The Hidden Danger of Electronic Systems
This incident has thrust the design of the Xiaomi SU7’s door handles into the spotlight. The SU7 features semi-retractable door handles—a feature increasingly common in modern electric vehicles.
As Xiaomi founder Lei Jun previously explained, the SU7’s semi-retractable handles “use a fixed design, unlocking electrically via a built-in microswitch when pressed, allowing the door to open without needing to physically lift it.” In other words, these handles are essentially controlled electronically rather than relying on traditional mechanical mechanisms.
While many new-energy vehicles adopt electronic door locks paired with hidden door handles, a critical safety concern arises when a high-voltage system triggers automatic power-off protection post-collision. If the driver fails to activate the manual backup mechanism promptly—or if the vehicle’s structure deforms, causing the handle to jam—drivers may find themselves trapped inside, unable to escape. The Xiaomi SU7 only includes a mechanical release lever inside the cabin, positioned relatively low down, while the exterior handles lack any such manual override altogether. As a result, if the driver loses consciousness or becomes incapacitated, rescuers outside would need significantly more time to gain access by smashing the windows and manually pulling the internal lever located near the bottom of the door.
03 Industry Context: Controversy Over Hidden Handles and Regulatory Action
This recent incident in Chengdu is far from isolated. In recent years, accidents involving vehicles equipped with hidden door handles have repeatedly highlighted potential safety risks. For instance, last year in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, a HiPhi M7 suffered a high-speed rear-end collision, leaving its hidden door handles jammed and preventing passengers from escaping. Similarly, in this month’s high-speed collision involving the Xiaomi SU7, the inability to open the hidden handles became a focal point of public concern. In response to these recurring issues, regulatory authorities have already begun taking action.
On September 24, a draft of China’s mandatory national standard for automotive door handles was released for public comment. Titled “Safety Technical Requirements for Automotive Door Handles,” the draft aims to address emerging safety challenges posed by the latest technologies in electric, hidden door handles, further standardizing and enhancing their reliability. Notably, the draft introduces new requirements regarding the functionality, placement, and accessibility of door handles following accidents, ensuring that rescue operations can proceed more efficiently and safely.
According to the draft, each vehicle door must be equipped with an external handle featuring a mechanical release function. Additionally, the system must be designed to allow non-collision-side doors to be opened manually—without the need for tools—even in scenarios where irreversible restraint systems deploy or thermal events occur within the battery pack.
04 Historical Precedents: Frequent Safety Concerns
This isn’t the first time the Xiaomi SU7 has drawn attention due to its problematic door-opening mechanisms. Back in March 2023, a similar incident occurred when a Xiaomi SU7 was involved in a severe crash on the Desheng Expressway in Tongling, Anhui Province, tragically resulting in the deaths of three young women inside the vehicle. Although Xiaomi officially confirmed that the car was equipped with a mechanical door handle, rescue teams struggled to open the doors and extract the victims.
Moreover, in the event of a sudden collision, the vehicle’s electrical system is often compromised, leading to a complete power failure across the entire car. Under such circumstances, both fully hidden and semi-hidden electric door handles become inoperable, effectively trapping passengers inside the vehicle.
A seasoned automotive industry insider, speaking anonymously about a previous similar incident, remarked: “Simply put, in this case, there are two possibilities: either the occupants were knocked unconscious and unable to manually unlock the doors, or the collision damaged critical components like wiring harnesses, cutting off the signal needed to unlock the vehicle.”
05 Manufacturer Response and Industry Reflection
As of press time, neither the Chengdu Public Security Traffic Management Department nor Xiaomi Motors had issued official statements regarding the incident. A reporter from Caixin reached out multiple times today to the local traffic police department but received no response.
Earlier this year, in April, during a similar incident, Xiaomi Motors’ customer service team assured customers that if their vehicles experienced a power outage leading to locked doors, they could still access an emergency manual release located beneath the vehicle. “The car is equipped with a mechanical handle, which remains functional even in the absence of power,” the company stated at the time. However, in the current Chengdu incident, the mechanical handle clearly failed to deliver the expected relief, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on pre-collision safeguards.
Meanwhile, as China’s automotive industry moves toward stricter safety standards, there’s a growing shift—from chasing flashy, futuristic aesthetics driven by technological innovation—to prioritizing practical, safety-focused solutions. This evolution reflects a broader recognition that, in the pursuit of cutting-edge design and performance, the most advanced vehicles must never compromise the fundamental principle of passenger safety.
At press time, neither Chengdu authorities nor Xiaomi Motors had released an official statement detailing the cause or specifics of the incident. The exact reasons behind the crash—and the full extent of what happened—remain under investigation. Meanwhile, the tragic fate of the driver, alongside the heroic efforts of those who continued to fight for rescue despite their own injuries, underscores the harsh reality that lurks beneath the sleek, high-tech exteriors of today’s automobiles: when the allure of futuristic design and cutting-edge technology overshadows safety considerations, even the most advanced vehicles can transform into deadly death traps from which escape seems impossible.
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