KATHMANDU: A massive fire in an electric car in Chitwan on Friday morning has triggered widespread concern over the safety of electric vehicles. The car involved in the blaze was completely burnt, and the driver inside died in the incident.
The vehicle was manufactured by GAC, a well-known Chinese carmaker. GAC Motor is a group with more than 40 years of experience producing vehicles for brands such as Toyota and Honda in China.
Based on videos currently circulating on social media, statements from local police, and the condition of the crashed vehicle, it is not yet possible to say conclusively what exactly caused the fire. Chitwan Police have stated that the incident will be investigated with technical assistance.
Footage shows the EV continuing to move down the road even as flames were visible inside the cabin. CG Motors, the official dealer for GAC, has not yet released any concrete information on what caused the incident.
Determining the cause of such accidents always takes time. Without a technical investigation, it is not easy to establish exactly why and how the fire started.
Watching the video of the accident, it appears the fire started from inside the car rather than from outside. This detail, that the fire started from within, has now raised the central question: Did the fire originate from the battery, or from the cabin’s electrical system, or from some other human-caused factor?
Since the investigation into the cause of the fire has not yet begun, drawing firm conclusions at this stage would be a mistake. So let’s try to understand a few things based on the nature of the incident itself.
The video that has surfaced raises three serious questions. First, where exactly did the fire actually start? Second, why did the car keep moving even after catching fire? And third, why couldn’t the driver open the door and attempt to escape as the fire spread?
Only by answering these three questions can the real cause of the accident be determined. Otherwise, anything said about what happened remains mere speculation.
Which battery is it?
The Aion Y is equipped with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. LFP batteries are currently considered among the safest in terms of thermal stability. However, this certainly does not mean that such batteries can never catch fire.
A fire can occur due to an internal short circuit in one of the battery’s cells, manufacturing defects, excessive temperature, physical damage, electrical leakage, or insulation problems.
When the temperature inside the battery rises abnormally and heat spreads from one cell to another, this process is called thermal runaway. In such a situation, the battery emits excessive heat, smoke, and fire. However, the video from the early stage of the fire shows flames inside the cabin, this cannot be confirmed as originating from the lithium battery itself.
The cabin’s electrical system under suspicion
A detailed video analysis of the incident shows that the fire actually appears to have started from the rear part of the cabin, near the dashboard.
Apart from the main battery, electric cars also have a separate low-voltage electrical system. This system operates various electrical devices, control systems, lights, and the door’s electrical mechanism, among other components.
Therefore, the fire could have started due to a short circuit in the wiring, a problem with a fuse or relay, the low-voltage battery, the direct current conversion unit, infotainment system wiring, AC electrical components, externally added electrical devices, or an issue with the charging system.
Why did the car keep moving even after catching fire?
This is the most important aspect of the Chitwan Aion Y incident, and also the part that most needs investigating. Did the fire start due to a fault in the car? Or did the driver attempt something as extreme as self-harm? The investigation should reveal this.
The above point is reinforced by the video, which shows the car continuing to move forward for some time even after catching fire. This could indicate either that the driver was unable to control the car, or that they chose not to.
It is also possible that once the fire started in the cabin, thick smoke quickly filled the space and the driver lost consciousness. Whether the driver was unable to open the door, or did not attempt to, must also become part of the investigation.
What should the investigation cover?
A serious accident of this kind involving an electric vehicle must be investigated differently from a fire in a conventional vehicle. First and foremost, investigators need to determine exactly where the fire originated, this concerns components that the manufacturer can regulate, such as the Battery Management System (BMS), the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), and the inverter.
Following that, each battery cell, different battery components, wiring, fuses, the low-voltage battery, and other electrical parts need to be tested.
Investigators must check whether any abnormal signals, related to battery temperature, current flow, or cell voltage were recorded before the fire. They must also examine whether a short circuit occurred in the wiring, fuses, control devices, or other electrical components.
It must be determined whether the driver’s side door was in working condition. Investigators should also check whether the driver had applied the brakes before the fire, and whether there was any abnormal condition in speed control.
Finally, it needs to be established when and where the car was last charged before the accident, and whether the vehicle had previously been in a crash, submerged in water, damaged on its underside, or fitted with any externally added electrical equipment.
