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Tesla Model Y vs. Xiaomi SU7: What Two China Crashes Do—and Don’t—Say About EV Safety

Two Xiaomi SU7 crashes and a preliminary Tesla Model Y door-handle investigation raise questions about post-crash access, but they do not establish an overall EV safety winner.
Entry433 Date Time4 min MechanicCarCody Team
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These crashes raise a real safety question about getting out of a badly damaged car, but they do not establish that the Xiaomi SU7, Tesla Model Y, or electric vehicles as a class are safer or less safe than their alternatives. The March 2025 Anhui crash and the October 2025 Chengdu crash are separate events with different evidence. A preliminary U.S. investigation into 2021 Tesla Model Y door handles is a third, distinct matter—not proof of a vehicle-wide defect.

What the two Xiaomi SU7 crashes show

The incidents occurred months apart and should be assessed separately. The March crash’s initial account left important questions unresolved; the later Chengdu account described forensic findings about door release failure. Neither report, by itself, establishes the overall crash risk of the SU7 or of EVs.

Incident What was reported What the account does not establish
March 29, 2025, Anhui/Tongling highway Xiaomi’s April 1 statement said the SU7 was using its NOA-assisted driving function at 116 km/h when it detected an obstacle and warned the driver. About a second later, the driver took control, the function exited, and the driver steered and slowed. Xiaomi said the last system-confirmed speed before the collision was about 97 km/h. Xiaomi said the police investigation was ongoing, it had not inspected the vehicle, and it could not accurately determine whether the doors could be opened. It also said spontaneous combustion had not been established and suggested severe impact damage as a possible explanation for the fire. These are Xiaomi’s statements, not an independent reconstruction.
October 13, 2025, Chengdu Caixin reported in February 2026 that a forensic appraisal found the SU7 was traveling at 167 km/h when it collided with another vehicle. According to Caixin, the resulting short circuit cut low-voltage power to the electronic door releases, leaving the exterior handles inoperative as the car burned. Caixin also reported that police suspected the driver of drunk driving and that a January 2026 responsibility statement assigned him full responsibility. These are findings as reported by Caixin, a secondary account; they are not a primary case file included here.

The later Chengdu report cannot be used to fill in what Xiaomi said was unknown about the March Anhui crash. The evidence does not show that both crashes had the same cause, nor can two incidents represent the frequency of a particular failure across SU7s or EVs generally.

Why door access matters—and what the Tesla investigation covers

After a severe crash, occupants or rescuers may need to open a door from outside. Electronic or concealed exterior handles can raise a practical concern if collision damage or loss of electrical power prevents them from operating. That concern is narrower than the question of a car’s overall crash safety: it concerns access after a crash, not how likely a crash is or how well the vehicle protects occupants during one.

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#1 Best Overall
Hot Wheels Tesla Model Y, 1:64 Scale Car, Gray, 37/250
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The Associated Press reported that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary investigation covering approximately 174,300 2021 Tesla Model Ys after nine reports of electronic door handles not working, possibly because of low battery voltage. The reported scope was exterior electronic door-lock operability. An investigation is not a final defect determination, and the reports do not establish that all Model Ys have the issue.

The Tesla matter and the Chengdu SU7 account both concern exterior access, but they are not equivalent findings. They involve different vehicles, evidence and circumstances; the Tesla inquiry is preliminary, while Caixin described forensic findings from a specific crash.

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China’s mechanical-release rule is a design response, not a safety ranking

The Associated Press reported that China will require mechanical door-release functions starting January 1, 2027, with vehicle models already approved required to comply by January 1, 2029. The policy responds to concerns about post-crash access where electronic or concealed handles are used. It does not show that every vehicle with such handles is unsafe, or compare the crash safety of EVs with gasoline-powered cars.

As Omdia senior analyst Chris Liu told the Associated Press, “China is the first major automotive market to explicitly ban electrical pop-out and press-to-release hidden door handles.” That describes the policy’s scope; it is not an assessment of any one model’s crashworthiness.

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Rank #3

What the SU7’s five-star rating does—and doesn’t—tell you

Xiaomi’s 2025 annual report, published in 2026, says the SU7 series received five stars under C-NCAP and held the top position among tested sedan models as of the reporting period. This is Xiaomi’s account of the assessment result. The stated position is limited to the sedans tested in that program and period.

That rating does not provide a like-for-like comparison with a specific Model Y. The available material does not establish matching independent ratings for exact SU7 and Model Y variants under the same crash-test program and protocol. A five-star result in one program is useful context, but it is not enough to name an overall winner.

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How to compare the Model Y and SU7 fairly

A meaningful comparison needs matched versions and test conditions, not just an incident headline or one rating. Check:

  • Model year and market: Specifications and safety equipment can vary by year and country, so identify the exact versions being compared.
  • Crash-test program and protocol: Compare results from the same program and test period where possible. Star ratings from different programs are not automatically interchangeable.
  • Protection across occupants and road users: Look beyond an overall score to occupant protection by seating position, vulnerable-road-user protection and active-safety performance.
  • Post-crash hazards and escape: Consider battery and fire behavior after impact, and whether interior and exterior emergency releases work after low-voltage or high-voltage power loss.

Without that matched evidence, the defensible conclusion is limited: the reported incidents make post-crash access a legitimate design and safety issue to examine, but they do not support a categorical verdict that the SU7 or Model Y—or EVs overall—are safer.

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Quick Recap

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Hot Wheels Tesla Model Y, 1:64 Scale Car, Gray, 37/250
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Hot Wheels Tesla Model Y, HW Green Speed 1/10 [Gray] 37/250
$15.99
Bestseller No. 2
gidoyi Toy Car Model X, Pull Back Car Toys Alloy Vehicles with Lights and Sound 1:32 Scale Model Car (White)
gidoyi Toy Car Model X, Pull Back Car Toys Alloy Vehicles with Lights and Sound 1:32 Scale Model Car (White)
Made of zinc alloy with ABS plastic parts; 5.9 inch x 2.2 inch x 1.8 inch(size); The two sides of doors could be opened,front and back covercould be opened too
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Bestseller No. 5

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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