China’s Li Auto on Wednesday issued an apology on social media for “any confusion” caused by a wild crash test in which its i8 sports utility vehicle collided with a truck of eight tons, causing the head of the truck to disengage from its body. The company presented the video at the launch event of its all-electric i8 on July 29, which showed the 2.6-ton crossover traveling at 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph) and a Chenglong-branded heavy truck moving at 40 km per hour in a head-on collision. The video immediately stirred up a manor controversy, with the manufacturer of the truck, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor, accusing Li Auto and its partner of peforming the test in a way that is dramatically different from real-world situations, resulting in an unrealistically positive depiction of its safety performance. The video also triggered a backlash among Chinese netizens with some questioning whether the truck’s front end was properly locked. Heavy-duty trucks typically have locking mechanisms for the front end, and the cab becoming disengaged should not occur under normal circumstances. [TechNode reporting, Li Auto statement, in Chinese]
Related
