own in chinaXiaomiA man who died after his car caught fire has reignited debate over the safety issue of electronic door handles.
Electronic door handles in many modern cars look sleek, but their potential failure in emergency situations is already the subject of debate.
In a recent case, a 31-year-old Chinese man was burned to death after being unable to escape from a vehicle that witnesses said was engulfed in flames after a collision.
Video of the accident shared on social media shows the driver desperately trying to get out of the car, but without success.
his car,Xiaomi SU7are equipped with electronic door handles, which may not function in the event of an emergency such as a collision or fire, potentially preventing occupants from escaping.
Fatal Crash Involving Xiaomi SU7 in Chengdu: A SU7 electric sedan lost control at high speed, hit a green belt, rolled into oncoming traffic, and caught fire in the early hours of Oct 13. The sole driver tragically died. Xiaomi has not yet commented. pic.twitter.com/c7vVGFcoLo
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) October 13, 2025
However, the car also has a safety system that automatically releases the doors in the event of a collision or airbag deployment.
moreover,XiaomiThe car also had a manual release system, but it apparently did not work as expected after the crash.
Although the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, the failure of the electronic door handle has caused controversy on Chinese social media.
At the same time, regulators are considering banning retractable door handles from 2027 onwards. Electric handles should have a mechanical solution that can be easily operated in an emergency.
Photos and videos: Xiaomi/X @shanghaidaily. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
