BEIJING: Chinese technology giant Xiaomi will remotely fix a flaw in the assisted driving system on over 110,000 of its popular SU7 electric cars.
The company and regulators announced the move on Friday, months after a deadly crash involving the model.
China’s tech companies and automakers have invested billions of dollars into smart-driving technology, creating a new battleground in the country’s competitive domestic car market.
Beijing has moved to tighten safety regulations after a Xiaomi SU7 in assisted driving mode crashed and killed three college students earlier this year.
The incident raised significant concerns over the advertising of cars as being capable of autonomous driving.
The State Administration for Market Regulation stated that Xiaomi’s highway assisted driving system showed insufficient recognition, warning and handling ability in some extreme driving conditions.
The regulator warned that this deficiency risked collision if drivers failed to promptly intervene.
Xiaomi will remotely upgrade standard SU7 models manufactured before August 30, 2025, according to a company statement on the Weibo social media platform.
The company emphasised that user safety remains its top priority, adding that while no physical parts needed replacing, it would manage the fix according to formal recall procedures.
The recall affects exactly 116,887 vehicles across China. Remote recalls have become standard practice among modern automakers addressing software issues.
The announcement reignited online discussion about the fatal SU7 crash that occurred in March.
Three students died when their Xiaomi SU7 hit a concrete barrier on an expressway in eastern Anhui province.
Before the crash, the vehicle was operating in Xiaomi’s Navigate On Autopilot assisted driving mode at 116 kilometres per hour.
Xiaomi stated that while travelling on a highway section with roadworks, the vehicle detected an obstacle ahead and issued a warning before handing control to the driver.
The vehicle hit a barrier at approximately 97km/h just seconds after the warning was issued.
Online footage showed a car in flames on the highway followed by images of the completely burned-out wreckage.
Xiaomi founder Lei Jun expressed being heavy-hearted on social media and promised full cooperation with the police investigation.
The crash sparked extensive online discussion about Xiaomi’s assisted driving functions, the vehicle’s fire safety, and emergency door operation capabilities.
A hashtag related to the recall was viewed more than 70 million times on Weibo following the announcement.
The SU7 model launched in March 2024 marked Xiaomi’s ambitious entry into China’s competitive electric vehicle market.
Bloomberg reported that Xiaomi had delivered more than 300,000 SU7 vehicles by July, citing data from the state-owned China Automotive Technology and Research Center. – AFP