Xiaomi Accused of Toll Evasion on High-Speed Roads, Company Agrees to Pay Fees
On March 14, 2024, the official Weibo account of the Tianjin High-Speed Group Corporation published an article on its "High-Speed Voice" WeChat public account, which focused on a specific issue. It was found that a batch of temporary license-plate vehicles had been driving on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed section, displaying signs of excessive driving time and abnormal path travel data.
19 March 2024
In response to this situation, Xiaomi, a technology company, issued a statement clarifying that their test vehicles had been operating on closed-loop high-speed tracks for closed-loop testing. However, the high-speed toll system defaults to the shortest distance between entry and exit high-speed toll gates for calculating the toll, which led to the test drivers paying a toll based on the system prompt, rather than the actual distance driven. Consequently, the Tianjin High-Speed Group Corporation accused Xiaomi of "short reporting on long journeys" and "intentional avoidance of tolls". They reported the issue, and after communication and coordination, Xiaomi agreed to make up for all the toll fees. Xiaomi also mentioned that during the testing process, their vehicles did not have any instances of violating the high-speed rules, such as reckless turning, over-speed driving, or evading the toll on the high-speed road. Meanwhile, the Tianjin High-Speed Group Corporation's WeChat public account published multiple articles containing inaccurate information, and Xiaomi is currently in communication with them.
The situation was reported by a user on Weibo, stating, "I initially wanted to have a lazy morning, but ended up receiving three consecutive telemarketing calls, one promoting office space, one selling credit cards, and one promoting financial products, which made me fully aware of the vacancy rates in office buildings, the desperation of some banks to get me to spend money, and the desperation of some banks to get me to save and earn interest differences."
The user then mentioned that they came across a Xiaomi-related topic and decided to search for more information. "I realized that car manufacturers wouldn't engage in toll evasion. In the end, the manufacturer's representative paid the tolls." Another user expressed their thoughts on the matter, saying, "What does 'short reporting on long journeys' mean?" They also noted that the article from the Tianjin High-Speed Group Corporation's WeChat public account has been deleted.
"Xiaomi reacted quickly in this situation, and everyone should be satisfied," they wrote. A user who claimed to have insider information provided more details about the situation. "The high-speed toll system's faulty self-calculation of toll fee payment led to misinterpretations, and the bug in the system should be corrected. This situation is definitely not due to a deliberate intent to avoid paying tolls during high-speed driving." However, an article by the Tianjin High-Speed Group Corporation revealed that the inspected and analyzed temporary license-plate vehicles had driven for an excessive amount of time and had displayed abnormal path travel data.
The vehicles included 14 unregistered vehicles that were found to have participated in "short reporting on long journeys" to avoid paying tolls, with a total of 54 instances and a total amount of 4,408.96 yuan ($645.74) that needed to be paid. After identifying the vehicles as Xiaomi test cars, the company's management was contacted, and they agreed to pay the full amount of the toll fees.
The Tianjin High-Speed Group Corporation stated, "In the future, our company will continue to improve monitoring and governance of toll fee avoidance, and resolutely crack down on various forms of avoidance and evasion of tolls, ensuring that 'toll fees are returned to the treasury'."
As a result, the situation has garnered significant attention on Weibo, and various netizens have expressed their opinions. Many users have emphasized the importance of maintaining order and fairness on high-speed roads. In response to the situation, Xiaomi focused on emphasizing the importance of proper testing procedures and the accurate interpretation of testing data, while also acknowledging the technical issues that arose during the testing and toll payment process. The company's official spokesperson stated, "During the testing process, Xiaomi's vehicles did not exhibit any instances of violating high-speed driving rules, such as reckless turning, over-speed driving, or intentional avoidance of tolls." As the situation continues to develop, users have continued to discuss the issue on Weibo, with some expressing their support for Xiaomi and others criticizing the company for its actions. Regardless of the differing opinions, the focus remains on the importance of maintaining order and fairness on high-speed roads and ensuring proper oversight of toll payment systems. In conclusion, the recent incident involving Xiaomi and its test vehicles on the high-speed roads has sparked a heated debate among netizens. While some have accused Xiaomi of intentionally avoiding toll fees, the company has maintained that it was a technical issue caused by the high-speed toll system's default calculation method. The Tianjin High-Speed Group Corporation has confirmed that Xiaomi has agreed to pay all the owed toll fees, and both parties are still in communication regarding the inaccurate information published on the WeChat public account. It is yet to be seen how this situation will affect public perception of Xiaomi and its business practices.
