Authorities are investigating a fatal fire at a Huawei smartphone showroom that also destroyed one of the company’s newest hybrid vehicles, according to media reports.
A video posted online showed a Huawei store in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, ablaze. Witnesses said an Aito M5 displayed in the store was burned to its chassis.
According to police, two people died in the fire due to carbon monoxide poisoning, Global Times reported.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, according to media reports.
The M5 has a 1.5-litre turbo-charged internal combustion engine that works as a generator but does not power the wheels.
Launched in December 2021, the M5 is available in three models: a standard rear-wheel drive version from 249,800 yuan ($37,200), a four-wheel drive “performance” version from 279,800 yuan, and a four-wheel-drive “flagship” version from 319,800 yuan.
Huawei has been working on fully electric cars for some years.
In April, the company announced at the 19th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition that its stores would sell Seres SF5 electric cars made by Chongqing Sokon Industry Group.
Last year, Huawei said its autonomous-driving technology surpassed Tesla’s in some aspects, such as enabling cars to cruise for more than 1,000 km (620 miles) without human intervention.
- George Russell
READ MORE:
Canada Bans Huawei, ZTE 5G Gear on ‘National Security’ Fears
Huawei Revenues Drop 13.9% as Handset Share Declines
US Probes Chipmaker for Huawei Sanctions Violations – FT
