WM Motor EX5 Suspected of Spontaneous Combustion in Third Case This Month

According to digital information platform Mydrivers, at 3:00 in the morning on December 23, a new energy vehicle parked on Gangfeng Road, Haikou, Hainan caught fire, affecting nearby vehicles and buildings.

According to photos taken at the scene, this new energy vehicle has been burned beyond recognition, leaving only non-combustible parts such as a body frame and wheel hub. The car parked behind it has also been burned, while the surrounding building walls have been blackened completely, and some external air conditioning units have also been burned directly.

Although the vehicle model that caught fire can’t be seen clearly, the rim, rear window and quarter window and C-pillar rear design are all in line with the characteristics of a WM Motor EX5. This is the third time that a model of this type has caught fire this month.

Previously, at 7:00 on December 22, another WM Motor EX5 caught fire on Hailuoyi Road, Jiyang District, Sanya City, Hainan Province. At that time, firefighters arrived at the scene and found that the vehicle was still burning. Thanks to the team’s efforts, the fire was successfully controlled.

At about 4:30 on December 20, another vehicle suspected to be a WM Motor EX5, suddenly caught fire at a charging station near Changjiang Road, Biyun Road, Zhengzhou City, leaving only an empty shell. Fortunately, no casualties were incurred.

It is worth noting that four electric vehicles from WM Motor have burned in one month from September to October last year, which attracted much attention for WM Motor. Thus, the firm announced the recall of related vehicles on October 28, 2020, with a total recall amount of 1,282 vehicles.

WM Motor said that the vehicles within the scope of the recall were mixed with impurities in the production process by the cell supplier, resulting in abnormal lithium precipitation in the power battery. In extreme cases, it may lead to short circuit of cells, causing thermal runaway of power battery and producing a fire risk, which has potential safety hazards.

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In November 2021, WM Motor delivered 5,027 smart pure electric vehicles, up 66.6% year-on-year, reaching a new monthly sales record, which also made November 2021 the best month since the brand went public. In the first 11 months of this year, WM Motor delivered a total of 39,095 vehicles.

In fact, before the spontaneous combustion accident, in addition to the good sales performance, WM Motor also made many gains in the capital market. In early December, WM Motor announced that it had obtained 152 million dollars in D2 round financing, among which Agile Property invested 140 million dollars, leading the investment.

At present, WM Motor is the closest new automaker to listing. Since its establishment in 2015, the company has completed 11 rounds of financing, with a cumulative financing amount exceeding 35 billion yuan (about $5.5 billion).