Car locked by software update: Pregnant Chinese woman finds herself in fix as she's about to give birth

The woman's husband said that the update was displayed on the car's screen and upon contacting the manufacturer, he was told that the update could not be stopped. As a result, the couple walked out of their residential area in a cold weather to look for a taxi for the wife, who later had to undergo an emergency C-section delivery.

A pregnant Chinese woman who had gone into labour had to walk in excruciating pain to find a taxi to reach the hospital after her car failed to start.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the woman's husband from Shandong province explained that their car displayed a 51-minute over-the-air (OTA) update and wasn't starting in an emergency when his wife was suffering from labour pain.

The couple's car is an SUV from Li Auto which is a Chinese smart electric vehicle manufacturer.

The woman's husband said that the update was displayed on the car's screen, and upon contacting the manufacturer, he was told that the update could not be stopped.

The couple walked out of their residential area in a cold weather to look for a taxi for the woman, who later had to undergo an emergency C-section delivery.

According to the publication's report, the wife said, "I have a car, but I had to walk through the agony of a dilated cervix just to hail a taxi. Every step is excruciating."

The husband said that his wife's emotional distress and walking led a rise in the fetal heart rate before reaching the hospital.

The man, on December 9 updated that his newborn and wife, both were safe.

The husband asserted that he reported the incident to police after Li Auto was criticised.

According to SCMP, the man said, "I don’t think, and never said, that my car is the problem. I was just documenting the awkward situation of taking my wife to the hospital."

Staff of Li Auto said that the car owner gets notified about the update which he/she can schedule or delay according to their convenience.

According to SCMP, they said, "Once the OTA upgrade begins, it cannot be stopped for safety reasons."

A lawyer from Zejin Law Firm in Henan province, Fu Jian commented that though the car manufacturing company cannot be held liable, but the couple can seek a certain amount of economic compensation for the taxi fare.