Airbags Did Not Deploy and Doors Did Not Open... 3 Dead in China 'Huawei Electric Car' Accident

Electric Vehicle Aito M7 with Huawei Technical Support
Driver, Driver's Brother-in-law, and 2-Year-Old Nephew Dead
Bereaved Family Claims Vehicle Defect... Manufacturer Denies

An electric vehicle produced with technical support from Chinese telecommunications equipment company Huawei (華爲) was involved in an accident where the doors did not open after a collision, resulting in the death of a family.

Aito M7 engulfed in flames after a rear-end collision. [Image source=Captured from Baidu, China]

On the 29th, Chinese media outlets including Pengpai News reported that on the 26th, an accident occurred on a highway near Yuncheng (運城) City, Shanxi (山西) Province, where an AITO M7 SUV was traveling at 115 km/h and collided with a truck ahead. Immediately after the accident, the vehicle caught fire due to an explosion. Drivers of nearby vehicles gathered and attempted to rescue the occupants by breaking the car windows, but ultimately three occupants, including two men and a 2-year-old child, lost their lives.

The bereaved family claimed that the death toll was higher due to vehicle defects, sparking safety concerns. A family member, Mr. A, posted online, "The AITO M7 driven by my younger brother collided with a water truck on the highway," adding, "My husband and our just-turned 2-year-old son, who were in the back seat, all died." He also raised suspicions of vehicle defects, stating that the car doors were locked and would not open, and that the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Obstacle Automatic Control System (GAEB), and airbags all failed to operate properly. Mr. A added, "The accident vehicle was the latest model purchased by my younger brother three months ago for 250,000 yuan (approximately 47 million KRW)."

The manufacturer of AITO expressed condolences to the victims via Weibo (微博, a Chinese social networking service), but denied the defect allegations, stating, "The airbags and power battery functioned normally." Local police are investigating the cause of the accident, including possible vehicle defects.

The AITO M7 is a luxury SUV produced since December 2021 through a partnership between Huawei and Chinese electric vehicle company Seres. It is equipped with Huawei's proprietary operating system (OS), Harmony (鴻蒙). However, foreign media reported that Huawei has distanced itself from the vehicle, stating it is not a joint venture but a company manufactured with Huawei’s parts supply and technical support.