According to an official statement shared by Xiaomi Auto, the fire initially ignited in the driver's seat of the Xiaomi SU7 on 1/2. The car owner confirmed that the incident was caused by a residual ignition source inside the vehicle, igniting surrounding flammable materials. The exact source of ignition remains undisclosed, but it was clarified that the car's battery was not the cause of the fire.
According to Sohu, the Xiaomi SU7 was a rental car. The vehicle was driven out of the charging station after completing its charge, which is when white smoke appeared in the cockpit. The taillights were still operational when the fire started, indicating the battery was functioning normally at the time of the incident.
The renter quickly evacuated after seeing smoke. The fire intensified after about 5 minutes, and the car burned for another 7-8 minutes before being enveloped in thick smoke.
Consequently, widespread information suggesting the fire was battery-related is inaccurate. A Xiaomi representative clarified that the explosions accompanied by sparks were due to airbag deployment, unrelated to the battery. When firefighters arrived, the blaze was quickly extinguished.
In fact, this is not the first or only instance of an electric vehicle fire originating from flammable materials inside the car. For example, on 5/10/2025, an Avatr 06 electric sedan caught fire while parked in Fujian, possibly due to concentrated sunlight on the passenger seat or an exploding perfume bottle. The female owner had placed many accessories on the dashboard.
On 30/10/2025, a Geely EX2 (Xingyuan) hatchback in Jiangsu also caught fire, with flames originating from the cabin and accompanied by fireworks-like explosions and sparks, similar to the Xiaomi SU7 mentioned above. The cause of that car fire was also unrelated to the battery.
Some recalled previous incidents where a windproof lighter, unnoticed for a long time, fell under a seat and ignited, setting the seat foam ablaze and causing a car fire. If flammable or explosive items like lighters or power banks are present in a car, they can easily become ignition sources under unexpected pressure.
Another potential cause could be faulty wiring or electrical components in the vehicle. If a short circuit occurs due to worn wiring, overheating electronic components, or issues from modifications or aftermarket equipment, localized high temperatures or electrical sparks can ignite surrounding insulation or interior materials.
In the cases of the Xiaomi SU7 and Geely EX2, airbags might be involved. Airbags contain a small amount of propellant, which can be understood as a special type of gunpowder. When flames reach the airbag module, they can ignite this propellant, causing small sparks.
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