Chinese manufacturer collides passenger car and 8-tonne truck in crash test
The Chinese car industry fights for attention not only with design and technology, but also with spectacular demonstrations of safety checks. The latest example is a crash test of the new Li Auto i8 three-row electric crossover involving a lorry.
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In the video, an electric car weighing 2,580-2,610 kg at 60 km/h collides head-on with a Chenglong truck weighing about 8 tonnes, which was travelling towards it at 40 km/h. Despite the obvious difference in weight, the i8 showed impressive resilience: the front end absorbed most of the force of the impact, the body pillars remained intact, the doors automatically unlocked and extended their handles, and all nine airbags deployed properly. The floor-mounted battery, despite damage from metal fittings, showed no signs of failure.
However, what struck commentators on the Chinese web segment was not Li Auto's survivability, but the behaviour of the truck: the cab tilted forward and almost broke away from the frame, with all four wheels in the air. This effect provoked a response from the manufacturer, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Company, which owns the Chenglong brand.
On 1 August, Dongfeng issued a public statement, accusing Li Auto of "serious infringement" and calling the video misleading. According to QQ News, the company said such a scenario did not reflect actual road conditions and misrepresented the truck's reliability.
Li Auto responded on 3 August via its official Weibo account. It stated that the test was conducted by a third party, the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI), a state-owned research institution. The company emphasised that the purpose of the test was not to assess the quality of other brands, and the truck used was purchased on the aftermarket and used solely as a "mobile obstacle".
Li Auto added that it did not intend to drag the truck manufacturer into the dispute and respects the Chenglong brand as one of the leaders in the Chinese market.
CAERI confirmed Li Auto's words, saying the test is not a standard certification test and is not intended to assess the reliability of a third-party vehicle. The truck was chosen based solely on its weight of 8 tonnes, with no technical modifications other than repainting, installation of remote control equipment and ballast.
Source: Carscoops
