Electronically actuated door handles on the Xiaomi SU7 can complicate post-crash access because the outside paddle triggers an electric latch rather than a purely mechanical release.
The issue resurfaced after a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra caught fire following a high-speed crash in Chengdu, CarNewsChina reports.
The collision occurred at about 3:16am on Oct 13 on Tianfu Avenue.
Videos circulating online show the car ablaze after striking a median strip.
Several motorists stopped to help but struggled to shatter the side windows; attempts with elbows and shoe soles failed.
A fire extinguisher aimed at the driver’s seat could not check the flames as heat and smoke intensified, forcing rescuers back. The driver was later confirmed to have died.
Social-media posts claimed the doors were locked, preventing entry, but there is no official confirmation of the lock status. As of publication, neither Chengdu authorities nor Xiaomi Auto had issued a formal statement on the cause or sequence of events. An investigation is under way.
EV fires remain rare, yet incidents attract scrutiny because battery packs require specific firefighting and isolation procedures.
On the SU7, the exterior handle is a fixed, semi-hidden paddle that activates an electronic latch; there is no external mechanical linkage.
Xiaomi provides mechanical emergency pulls inside all four doors, but bystanders cannot use them without first opening or breaking a window, which can delay extrication in fast-developing fires.
The Chengdu crash followed an earlier fatal crash in March 2025 involving a Xiaomi SU7 on a highway in which three occupants died, Chinese media noted.
Chinese regulators have been weighing updated standards that scrutinise door-handle design industry-wide; that rulemaking predates the Chengdu incident.
Safety experts said manufacturers can mitigate risk by ensuring clear labelling of interior emergency releases, tempered-glass break points and readily accessible rescue guidance for first responders.
Authorities have urged the public to await verified findings from investigators.
Below is a YouTube clip of the tragic accident on CarNewsChina channel.
