Lixiang Denies Risks of First Model after Brake Issue

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Source: Yicai Global post

BEIJING – Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) startup Lixiang Automotive has said that the recent brake failure of one of its hybrid vehicles is an isolated incident.

The risk does not apply on a larger scale to Lixiang One vehicles, the Beijing-based company said.

On May 7, an owner of the firm’s first sport-utility vehicle (SUV) model reported that they were unable to use the standard regenerative braking system to stop the vehicle on a highway but thankfully, the brake pedal still worked.

The carmaker said that the reason was a communication failure within the vehicle.

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But that is not the only recent problem. On May 8, the company said that a Changsha-based Lixiang One owner had detected smoke in the front cabin, but tests showed that the battery was fine.

The driver also excluded engine problems, according to a later post on the carmaker’s application.

The company has not commented on the reason behind the reported incident.

Li Xiang founded the eponymous car company in 2015. Lixiang One is the firm’s 800-kilometer-range SUV with a price tag of CNY328,000 ($46,314).

Mike Geylin
Mike Geylin

Mike Geylin is the Editor-in-Chief at Hagman Media. Geylin has been in automotive communications for five decades working in all aspects of the industry from OEM to supplier to motorsports as well as reporting for both newspapers and magazines on the industry.