The automotive world has been abuzz recently, especially at the Beijing Auto Show where Korean car manufacturers made a collective appearance, attracting attention from industry leaders and sparking intense discussions.
However, a recent incident involving a Wankai M7 rear-end collision on a highway in Shanxi resulting in three fatalities has caused a stir online, raising serious concerns about the safety performance of smart driving technologies.
As a rising star in the new energy vehicle industry, Xpeng has been making waves in recent years, backed by the giant Huawei and propelled by the publicity efforts of its CEO, He Xiaopeng.
He Xiaopeng has repeatedly claimed in public that Xpeng's autonomous driving technology is "far ahead," attracting attention to Xpeng but also sparking some controversies.
After this accident, the safety performance of autonomous driving technology instantly became the focus of attention, especially the AEB function, which surprisingly did not work at a critical moment.
According to official explanations, the accident occurred when the vehicle was traveling at 115km/h, exceeding the triggering range of AEB which is between 4-85km/h.
Some media reports suggested that the involved M7 vehicle used a Bosch autonomous driving solution, but Bosch China quickly clarified that the vehicle in question was not equipped with their autonomous driving system.
Furthermore, the issue of concealed door handles failing to pop out after an accident has also attracted widespread attention.
This design was intended to facilitate rescue efforts, but it has unfortunately become a hindrance during critical moments.
No matter how advanced autonomous driving technology is, safety always comes first. We should not blindly trust in "intelligence". Current autonomous driving technology is ultimately just an assistive tool and should not be allowed to dominate our driving safety.
As consumers, we need to keep a clear mind and not be misled by exaggerated advertising.
For car manufacturers, it is important to learn from this. While good marketing is a bonus, focusing on creating quality products should be the priority.
