Entire Family Perishes in Fire After Huawei Electric Vehicle Collision

A recent tragic incident involving an electric Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), branded as Huawei’s E-vehicle AITO, resulted in the death of three family members after the vehicle caught fire following a collision.

The bereaved family claimed that during the accident, the braking system failed to activate, and the doors would not open, trapping the passengers inside, which exacerbated the loss of life, sparking a controversy over safety.

On April 28, reports from China’s Fengpai News indicated that on April 26, on a highway in Shanxi Province, an AITO M7 collided with a vehicle in front, leading to the deaths of the driver, his 2-year-old nephew, and his brother-in-law.

According to reports, the brother-in-law was thrown from the vehicle and died instantly, while the driver and the 2-year-old child were unable to escape the vehicle due to malfunctioning doors and perished.

The driver’s sister stated that the AITO M7, driven by her younger brother, was a latest model purchased about three months ago for 250,000 yuan. She claimed that the car’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Obstacle Automatic Control Device (GAEB) did not function at the time of the accident, and neither did the airbags.

Following the emergence of safety concerns, AITO responded by affirming that the vehicle’s airbags and power battery pack were functioning normally at the time of the accident. The specific cause of the accident would be determined by the findings of the relevant authorities, they noted, adding that they were actively cooperating with the local transportation agency’s investigation. The company emphasized that any official announcements should be based on the transportation agency’s official release.

Claims have also surfaced that family members’ statements and accident footage are being removed from the internet under official supervision.

In 2021, Huawei partnered with Chinese electric vehicle company Seres to launch the electric SUV model AITO, equipping the vehicles with the Huawei Operating System. The models M5, M7, and M9 were released, setting a record with 50,000 units sold in just 27 days at launch.

While Huawei has expressed intentions to withdraw from car manufacturing, it plans to expand its OS business and install over 100,000 ultra-fast chargers across China.