On November 23, there was a video circulating online showing a fire on the battery production line inside Xiaomi’s car factory. Xiaomi’s spokesperson promptly denied the rumors, explaining that it was an incident from last year where a deviation occurred during the calibration of the production equipment in the battery plant, causing a manual adjustment error that led to a short circuit and subsequent fire. Xiaomi emphasized that it was a deviation in the manufacturing process and not a design flaw, material issue, or manufacturing defect in the battery itself.
According to Xiaomi, the incident was caused by an error in manual adjustment by the operators, resulting in a collision between the battery pack carried by the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) and the equipment, leading to a short circuit and fire due to the damaged battery cell. The company asserted that the fire was quickly contained with minimal impact and that their battery packs meet high national standards in terms of safety.
Additionally, a video titled “Battery Plant Incident Wall Display” circulated online, showcasing management bulletin boards related to the detection and verification issues during the initial calibration period of the battery plant equipment in early 2024. Xiaomi clarified that these issues had been addressed before mass production.
Despite Xiaomi’s explanations, many Chinese netizens remain skeptical, with some expressing doubts about the company’s credibility and accusing them of being untruthful. Previous incidents involving Xiaomi’s vehicles have also fueled distrust among consumers and the public.
A few days earlier, Xiaomi had also debunked rumors surrounding a fire at a Xiaomi car showroom in Changsha on November 20. The company attributed the incident to a fire above the showroom caused by a short circuit in the central air conditioning system, promptly handled by the fire department.
In recent months, Xiaomi has faced a series of negative events involving their vehicles. These incidents include fires, collisions, and even fatalities related to Xiaomi car models such as the SU7. From a SU7 catching on fire in Jiangsu to a tragic incident in Sichuan where a driver was unable to escape a burning vehicle, these events have raised concerns about the safety of Xiaomi vehicles.
Furthermore, Xiaomi announced a recall of approximately 110,000 SU7 standard electric cars produced between February 6, 2024, and August 30, 2025, due to potential safety hazards in the L2 high-speed navigation assistance driving function. This marks the second large-scale recall after a previous recall in January 2025 related to smart parking issues, sparking renewed public scrutiny over the safety of Xiaomi’s smart driving features.