New BYD Han EV Spontaneously Combusts in Sichuan

A car owner in Langzhong, Sichuan, China has released videos recently claiming that his new limited-edition BYD Han Qianshancui vehicle had undergone spontaneous combustion, according to an August 16 report by Jiemian News.

The owner said that his car had just come out of garage and had not been exposed to the sun for a long time. “I drove to run some errands, and suddenly it smoked in the middle of the road,” the owner claimed, adding, “I don’t know what the situation is now. It’s too scary. All my stuff is in the car.”

Regarding the matter, local fire control staff said that the specific reasons are still under investigation. BYD’s customer service said that it had not received relevant information yet. If the accident does happen, said the representatives, they and the local service store will contact the owner for negotiation, and the latest processing results will be released on BYD’s official platform.

A local media outlet learned from people familiar with the matter that when the vehicle burned, the driver was not sitting inside, and the traffic police on duty took part in the rescue immediately. After receiving an alert, two fire engines were quickly dispatched to carry out the rescue. The fire was quickly put out, but the vehicles were burned. Passing citizens and nearby vehicles were not affected.

It can be seen from videos released by the owner that the fire started from the chassis, spreading upward and gradually burning the whole vehicle. After the fire department put out the fire, the car had been burned into a black shell, and the front part was seriously damaged. The BYD Han Qianshancui (“Dark Green”) is a pure electric limited-edition model in BYD’s Han family, with a price of 329,800 yuan ($48,651) – the most expensive in the line.

The videos were released on domestic social media platforms, and some netizens expressed concerns about the safety performance of BYD’s blade battery. Some netizens bluntly stated they were thankful they didn’t buy an electric car.

SEE ALSO: BYD Plans $4.2B Battery Project in Jiangxi

Since this summer, spontaneous combustion accidents involving electric vehicles have occurred in many places around China. On June 27, a Voyah FREE in Fuyang, Hubei Province caught fire in the street, and there was an open flame under the car, accompanied by a large amount of smoke. This was the first spontaneous combustion accident for the Voyah brand. On July 26, a BMW i3 model spontaneously ignited during a test drive, one month after its delivery.