Copies of the Xiaomi SU7 have been caught red-handed trying to evade tolls. A bad publicity stunt for the Chinese manufacturer.
This is a story so it would have gone well the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi. Copies of its very recent SU7 were caught on video trying to defraud the toll. A situation incredible.
A recently revealed model!
It's a bad publicity shot that Xiaomi has suffered since A few days. The Chinese brand is well known for its smartphones or scooters, but here it is of an electric car.
And not just any one since it is the SU7 sedan, namely his first car 100% electric.
Ambition of the Chinese brand is to come and titillate the big names of this segment, like Tesla with the Model S and BYD with its Seal model.
This is why a few days ago Xiaomi unveiled the interior of his electric car. There we find a central screen of 16.1 inches which can be found at the front, next to the dashboard.
In addition to this, Xiaomi has equipped two screens at the rear of the vehicle to keep passengers as entertained as possible during the path.
Currently, the SU7 should arrive this year in China and well later in Europe. However, the vehicle is already traveling on public roads Chinese. And unfortunately, the experience for Xiaomi does not go as planned.
A fraud of 560 euros?
Indeed, cameras surveillance in China noticed something strange. This story was relayed by the site Chinese AutoHome.
A group of SU7 from Xiaomi was seen on the fast lane of the Tianjin Expressway Group.
Problem: the vehicles would have tried to defraud the toll. The drivers in the cars simply made illegal U-turns right in the middle of the stretch of the fast lane.
Xiaomi carries out the last tests before commercialization of its first electric car.
It is obviously a bad buzz which will not help the Chinese manufacturer in Communication around his sedan.
If we believe Chinese mediathe fraud would amount to 4,408.96 yuanwhich is the equivalent of 560 euros approximately. A sum non-negligible.
In order to avoid too bad communicationXiaomi has done DELETE articles around the controversy on the account WeChat High Speed Sound.
At the same time, Xiaomi wanted to apologize and to explain this case which is gaining momentum in China.
Xiaomi defends itself!
It's in this perspective that Xiaomi sent a right of reply to the Chinese site Auto Home.
In the latterthe Chinese manufacturer explains that the drivers did not deliberately want avoid the toll.
Xiaomi therefore denied the whole accusations against him. According to the Chinese manufacturer, the vehicles in question do “closed loop testing on a closed loop highway”.
The firm is trying to explain as best they could Why the drivers made as many U-turns.
Furthermore, regarding moneyXiaomi explains on the whole expenses were paid. In addition, everything that had not yet been paid was subsequently paid, says Xiaomi.
Finally, the Chinese manufacturer explained in his defense that the drivers did not make illegal U-turns and that speed limits were respected.
According to the media, Xiaomi collaborates closely with Tianjin Expressway Group so that this testing phase goes as smoothly as possible possible.
This is likely to taint good marketing of the SU7 in China in the coming weeks.