Xiaomi SU7 Ultra: driver dies trapped in burning car, China wants to ban electronic handles

Motorists tried to break the windows with kicks, others grabbed a fire extinguisher. Nothing happened, the man stuck in his burning Xiaomi SU7 Ultra died before their eyes in Chengdu, Monday October 13, 2025 at dawn.

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra catches fire in accident, bystanders’ rescue attempts fail

The accident happened around 3 a.m. on Tianfu Avenue in southwest China. A 31-year-old driver, identified as Deng, crashed into a median after colliding with another vehicle. Its Xiaomi SU7 Ultra immediately burst into flames.

Several motorists rushed to help him, without success. “Witnesses tried to break the windows with their elbows and shoes, but the glass remained intact”reports the site CarNewsChina. A fire extinguisher was deployed, but the intense heat pushed rescuers away. The man died at the scene and police suspect drunk driving.

Electronic handles in the dock

This drama exposes a growing vulnerability of modern electric vehicles: their electronic door handles. Unlike traditional mechanical systems, these devices fitted to Tesla, Xiaomi, Nio or Polestar require sensors and a power supply to operate.

However, in the event of a fire or power outage, they become unusable. Manual emergency opening mechanisms are theoretically provided, but their location varies considerably from one manufacturer to another. As a result, even professional rescuers often struggle to quickly locate them and people trapped inside are generally unaware of their existence. You can see the opening of these handles at 1:12 here:

For Xiaomi, the shock wave goes beyond the simple human drama. The manufacturer’s shares collapsed 8.7% on Monday on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, recording their worst session since April. This accident comes just eight months afteranother SU7 burst into flames on a highway, killing three students. The repetition of these tragedies weakens the credibility of the Chinese manufacturer, which entered the automobile market less than two years ago.

Faced with the accumulation of incidents, the authorities are toughening their tone. In late September, Chinese state media revealed that Beijing was exploring an outright ban on fully concealed handles. This measure would take effect in July 2027 and would require manufacturers to integrate accessible emergency mechanical systems even in the event of a total electrical failure.

Across the Atlantic, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Agency has opened an investigation into around 174,000 Tesla Model Ys in Septemberafter several people were injured or killed, trapped in passenger compartments without electricity. This architecture, initially popularized by Tesla for its refined aesthetics, today equips most high-end electric cars. An industrial standard now shaken by these repeated tragedies.

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