Huawei-backed Aito M7 EV crash kills three

On April 26th, a fatal incident took place on a highway in Shanxi, China, involving an Aito M7 SUV. The car collided with a truck, leading to a fire that resulted in the death of all three passengers, including a two-year-old boy. 

The incident gave rise to concerns regarding the vehicle’s safety systems, as both the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and General Automatic Emergency Braking (GAEB) reportedly failed to activate and prevent the collision.

Video footage from the accident scene revealed that the Aito M7’s concealed handle did not release during the fire, prodding bystanders to break the car windows in order to help save the lives of passengers stuck inside.

The Aito M7, launched in 2022, is the first mid-to-large-sized SUV under the Aito brand. A collaborative effort of Huawei and Seres, the vehicle features much of Huawei’s software. The vehicle is equipped with HarmonyOS along with an ADS 2.0 assisted driving system (ADAS), which has been claimed to navigate highways and cities without HD maps.

According to Aito, the data retrieved from the vehicle shows that the car was operating at a speed of 115 kph (71 mph) during the time of the crash, adding that the airbag opened as normal and the readings from the battery pack were also reported as usual.

However, questions were raised about the car’s battery catching fire despite having the safety measures in place. The family of the deceased individuals expressed great disappointment over the lack of timely intimation and were reported as saying that they were only informed of the accident two hours after it occurred.

The family also made their dissatisfaction with Aito’s customer service public, which reportedly failed to understand the gravity of the situation and inquired about “post-sales experience” instead of providing prompt assistance in rescue efforts.

In response, Aito Automobile reassured the public that it is cooperating with the authorities to provide all necessary data to reconstruct the cause of the accident and reach a resolution.