Xiaomi to fix power-assisted driving issue in over 110,000 electric vehicles

Chinese electric car maker Xiaomi announced on Friday (19) that it will remotely fix a fault in the power-assisted steering system in more than 110,000 SU7 vehicles, a popular model involved in a fatal accident.

Technology companies and automakers in China have invested billions of dollars in intelligent driving technology, a new battleground in the country's competitive auto market.

Beijing has taken steps to strengthen safety standards following the accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 in March while using assisted driving mode. Three university students died in the tragedy.

An advertisement for cars presented as capable of autonomous driving also generated debate.

The SU7 is Xiaomi's flagship model. Its assisted driving mode, offered under the name "Navigate On Autopilot" (NAO), was activated at the time of the accident.

The vehicle detected an obstacle on a stretch of highway under construction and issued an alert before handing control back to the driver, Xiaomi explained in a report.

A few seconds later, the vehicle collided with a barrier at a speed of 97 km/h and the three young passengers died in the accident.

The autopilot system offered by the SU7 “increased the risk of collision (…) in the absence of rapid intervention by the driver,” the State Administration for Market Regulation said on Friday.

Xiaomi will remotely update SU7 models manufactured before August 30, 2025, the company said on social media platform Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of X.

Remote recalls have become standard practice among automakers.

But the announcement reignited discussion on social media about the fatal SU7 crash.

On Friday, a hashtag related to the recall was viewed more than 70 million times on Weibo.

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