Xiaomi Claims It’s 'Completely Normal' for Its New SUV's Brakes to Ignite | Carscoops

      A video featuring a YU7 Max with overheated brakes has emerged, but the company claims that it is not a concern as the brakes continued to operate correctly.

      Approximately 14 hours ago, Stephen Rivers reported that during a track test, the brakes of a new Xiaomi YU7 Max caught fire, reaching over 600°C under heavy use. The manufacturer stated that organic materials in the brake pads ignited, yet the braking performance remained unaffected. It was noted that the SUV was not utilizing regenerative braking, which increased the load on the friction brakes.

      Xiaomi seems to be enjoying a successful period, recently celebrating a remarkable performance by the SU7 at Nürburgring and receiving 289,000 pre-orders for the new YU7. However, they now face a situation requiring some damage control.

      The issue this time revolves around the excessive heat generated by the YU7 Max's brakes during a media track test, which raised some concerns. Here's a brief overview of the incident and Xiaomi's response.

      Last Friday, a video surfaced showing a YU7 Max in a race track pit lane with flames erupting from its brakes. This scenario is less than ideal for the brand’s premium super SUV, which boasts 682 horsepower and 639 lb-ft of torque from a dual-motor configuration. While this level of power is impressive, effective braking is also crucial, as every vehicle needs to decelerate or stop eventually.

      The video depicts technicians measuring the temperature near an open flame on a caliper, with the thermometer indicating that the brake pads reached 619 degrees Celsius (1,146 degrees Fahrenheit), just short of the melting point of aluminum.

      Importantly, these flames differ from those typically associated with supercars equipped with carbon ceramic brakes. Xiaomi clarified to CarNewsChina that the fire was caused by organic materials in the low-metallic brake pads. They emphasized that such an occurrence is normal when brake temperatures exceed 600 degrees Celsius (1,112 F) and claimed it was not a significant issue since the brakes still functioned properly.

      Moreover, Xiaomi mentioned that the vehicle in question was not effectively utilizing its regenerative brakes. The YU7 Max features a 'Master Mode' with 'Enhanced Energy Recovery,' which alleviates the burden on friction brakes, allowing regenerative brakes to provide up to 0.2G of braking force. It appears that the YU7 relied solely on friction brakes, which is concerning given its weight of approximately 2.3 tons, pushing the brakes to their limits.

      Interestingly, this incident seems distinct from previous major brake failures observed in other Xiaomi vehicles. Instances from late last year involved two SU7 sedans experiencing complete brake failure, connected to components not designed for track use. In contrast, the brake pads and rotors used in the YU7 demonstrated capability for track demands.