Two test drivers in China were killed earlier this week after the car they were in fell out of a showroom.
The incident took place on June 22 at the headquarters of electric vehicle maker Nio in Shanghai, the BBC reported.
Videos on social media showed the crashed car on the ground, with debris strewn around. Rescuers were seen gathered around it.
#NIO #ET5 testing vehicle losses control, falls off 3rd floor of a building in Jiading, 1 passer-by reportedly dead, driver condition unknown.
(D1EV) pic.twitter.com/0pqHiSQWvJ
— Moneyball (@DKurac) June 23, 2022
Nio said in a statement on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, that the incident was “an accident (not caused by the vehicle)”.
"Our company has collaborated with public security department to launch the investigation and analysis of the cause of the accident,” the company added, according to the BBC. "We feel very sad about this accident and would like to express our deepest condolences to our colleague and partner employee who lost their lives. A team has been set up to help the families.”
Nio’s was criticised for saying the accident was “not caused by vehicle”. After Weibo users expressed outrage, the company took down the statement and posted a tweaked version of it.
The police are investigating the incident, which has given rise to concerns about the safety of electric vehicles.
Analysts say it may lead to people holding off on purchasing EVs.
“Many consumers keen on owning an electric car may postpone their purchase decisions until carmakers and the police can prove that the deaths were not caused by immature technology,” Gao Shen, a Shanghai-based analyst, told South China Morning Post.
Copyright © e-Eighteen.com Ltd All rights resderved. Reproduction of news articles, photos, videos or any other content in whole or in part in any form or medium without express writtern permission of moneycontrol.com is prohibited.
