Have you heard the story of the pregnant woman who was going into labour and her car wouldn’t start because it was updating its software?
Well, this actually happened in China when the Li Auto electric SUV she has was undergoing an over-the-air update (OTA) initiated inadvertently by the woman’s husband.
As reported by South China Morning Post, the strange tale came to light when the husband posted a video Dec 5 on Douyin, a popular video sharing platform in China, about the incident that took place in Shandong.
To make matters worst, an ambulance was unable to enter the couple’s residence as the route was blocked by other cars.
The husband, who requested anonymity, admitted he had started the 51-minute upgrade by mistake and was informed by Li Auto customer service that the process could not be stopped. In his video, the wife described enduring severe pain, saying, “I have a car, but I had to walk through the agony of a dilated cervix just to hail a taxi.”
The distress and physical exertion reportedly led to the woman undergoing an emergency C-section at the hospital. Four days after the video was posted, the husband updated that both mother and baby were safe.
Li Auto stated that customers are notified of updates in advance and can schedule them, but upgrades cannot be stopped once initiated for safety reasons.
A legal expert suggested that while the manufacturer may not be liable for damages, the couple could seek compensation for economic losses caused by the vehicle’s design limitations.
The company has not announced any compensation, and the case is under investigation.
The post did not identify which Li model the couple had but Li Auto’s L series of SUVs includes the L6, L7, L8, and L9 models. Given that the L6 is positioned as a more affordable option, targeting budget-conscious families, it’s plausible that the vehicle in question was the L6.
