Xiaomi caught in a door handle scandal with the SU7
Technology giant Xiaomi entered the car market with bold promises to revolutionise electric mobility. Now it faces its most serious crisis yet. Chinese media outlets and officials are calling for a recall of all 370,000 first generation SU7 saloons sold so far, citing a critical safety flaw involving the car’s electronic flush door handles.
The controversy centres on the Xiaomi SU7 and its recessed handles, a design feature that has become fashionable among electric vehicles. The appeal is obvious. Cleaner aerodynamics, a futuristic look and marginal efficiency gains. The risk, however, has proven far less cosmetic.
A fatal accident exposes a design weakness
In October 2024, a serious crash in Chengdu revealed the system’s vulnerability. During the collision, the car’s low voltage system, which powers the door locks, sustained damage. Unlike many competitors, the first generation SU7 lacked an external mechanical emergency release.
When electrical power failed, the doors could not be opened from the outside despite frantic attempts. A fire broke out, and the driver did not escape in time. The incident ignited public outrage and raised urgent questions about the balance between design ambition and basic safety engineering.
Software cannot fix hardware
Xiaomi initially attempted to address concerns through software updates. Critics and safety experts argue that this approach misses the point. The flaw is structural, not digital. Without a physical mechanical override, no line of code can guarantee access in a worst case scenario.
Pressure from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has already led to the introduction of stricter standards. From 2027, similar purely electronic external door handle systems are expected to be banned.
Xiaomi imported its rapid development philosophy from the smartphone world, where beta testing in real world conditions is common practice. In consumer electronics, a bug causes inconvenience. In the automotive sector, a design miscalculation can carry fatal consequences.
Hundreds of thousands of cars remain on the road
In February, Xiaomi confirmed that it ended production of the first generation SU7. A revised model scheduled for 2026 will comply with the tightened safety requirements. That still leaves hundreds of thousands of vehicles already in circulation.
In a severe accident, emergency responders may face doors that refuse to open in the usual way. Breaking the glass often becomes the only swift solution. For buyers considering a new electric car, one detail now deserves closer scrutiny. Does the door locking system include a physical mechanical backup that works without battery power?
Safety should never become collateral damage in the pursuit of aesthetics. The SU7 episode serves as a sobering reminder to the entire industry that sleek design must not turn a car into a sealed trap when seconds matter most.
