In the rapidly evolving world of smart electric vehicles, a startling video recently captivated the internet and sent a shiver through the industry. It showed a man frantically chasing his brand-new Xiaomi SU7 sedan as it drove away, driverless, down a residential street. The incident sparked immediate concerns about the safety of self-driving systems, but the subsequent investigation by Xiaomi revealed a more nuanced story—one centered on smartphone commands, customer service confusion, and the new challenges of our connected-car reality.
The Incident: A Parking Spot Emptys Itself
The event unfolded not on a busy highway, but in the seemingly safe confines of a residential area. The owner, Mr. Gao, had parked his white SU7 in front of his apartment. Surveillance footage from the scene shows the car sitting idle one moment, and the next, autonomously pulling out of its spot and beginning to drive away.
Inside the home, a woman can be heard screaming, and Mr. Gao is seen bursting out the door to sprint after his escaping vehicle. The surreal scene, which could easily be mistaken for a comedy sketch, was anything but funny for the owner.
The surveillance footage that started it all can be seen here: https://weibo.com/5136788508/Q7sdckyv4
Following the incident, a frustrated Mr. Gao took to social media, stating that he immediately contacted Xiaomi Auto customer service. The initial response from the company, he claimed, was less than satisfactory. "The other party said that we might have accidentally touched the phone, causing the vehicle to start," he recounted. He firmly rejected this explanation, insisting that no one was operating a phone at the time the car decided to move on its own.
Xiaomi's Investigation: Data Doesn't Lie
Facing a potential public relations crisis, Xiaomi's engineering team moved quickly to investigate. The company didn't deny the core fact: the SU7 had, indeed, started and moved without a driver inside. However, their investigation pointed to a digital culprit, not a mechanical one.
After examining the vehicle's extensive data logs, Xiaomi presented its findings to Mr. Gao. The data showed conclusively that the car had received a specific command from a connected smartphone. "The vehicle's backend data matches the iPhone 15 Pro Max's operation logs, response times, and vehicle exit commands, ruling out any vehicle quality issues," a Xiaomi representative stated.
The command in question was for the car's "Parking Assist" feature—a system very similar to Tesla's well-known "Smart Summon." This function allows an owner to remotely command their vehicle to autonomously exit or enter a parking space using their smartphone as a key.
The "Inadvertent Command" and a Case of Mistaken Identity
Skeptical of the explanation, Mr. Gao demanded to see the full logs. Upon a joint review with Xiaomi engineers, the mystery was solved. An iPhone 15 Pro Max, logged into his Xiaomi account, had inadvertently sent the "exit parking space" command. It's believed the command was triggered by accidentally pressing or touching the screen while the phone was in a pocket or bag.
Compounding the initial confusion was an error by a Xiaomi customer service representative. In a detailed statement, the company explained:
"During the investigation, with the user's consent, we obtained vehicle backend data and operation logs from two phones with vehicle control permissions (the female owner's iPhone 16 Pro and the male owner's iPhone 15 Pro Max... The vehicle's backend data shows that during the time window described by the user, the vehicle received a parking assist command from the iPhone 15 Pro Max... When contacting online customer service regarding the user's feedback, they stated that the parking assist command originated from an iPhone 16. We have verified that our online customer service representative confused the device model identifier (iPhone 16,2) with the corresponding device model (iPhone 15 Pro Max) during communication with the user."
Xiaomi has since apologized for this communication error and pledged to improve its service training.
The official follow-up and discussion from Chinese tech media is available here
The Bigger Picture: Safeguards for the Smart Car Era
While the data provided a clear technical explanation, the incident has ignited a crucial conversation about the user experience and safety protocols surrounding advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
The core question remains: How can manufacturers like Xiaomi build more robust safeguards to prevent such "inadvertent commands"? Should a feature that can move a several-ton vehicle require a more deliberate, multi-step confirmation on the smartphone app? Is a simple Bluetooth proximity check sufficient, or is a additional security layer needed?
This event serves as a real-world stress test for the entire smart EV ecosystem. For Xiaomi, a relative newcomer to the automotive world, the pressure is on to ensure its technology is not only innovative but also foolproof. The company's ambitious plans for its EV lineup hinge on consumer trust.
For more on Xiaomi's ambitious electric vehicle roadmap, see this report
In the end, the story of the runaway SU7 is a modern-day cautionary tale. It highlights the incredible convenience of smart, connected vehicles, but also underscores the unforeseen challenges that arise when our cars become, in essence, smartphones on wheels. For Mr. Gao, the scare is over and his faith in the vehicle's fundamental quality is restored. For the industry, the chase for perfecting safety in the age of autonomy is just getting started.
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