BYD Showroom Burns to the Ground After One Electric Car Bursts Into Flames

May 16, 2024

41 2 minutes read

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Photo: @ray4tesla, @yicaichina via X

Although statistics show electric vehicles are less likely to catch fire than gas-powered cars, some brands seem to get in the news more often because their cars burnt. BYD is one such brand, with many vehicle fires reported in recent years. However, this might simply be because the brand sells more vehicles than other brands.

Electric vehicles have a bad reputation when it comes to vehicle fires despite the fact they are far less likely to catch fire than gas-powered vehicles. Statistics revealed that EV fires are about ten times fewer than those affecting combustion vehicles. Bizarrely, hybrid cars are the most likely to catch fire, even when compared to purely ICE cars.

However, one thing makes electric vehicles more difficult to deal with in case of a battery fire. Because the Li-ion batteries can generate large amounts of oxygen when they overheat and burst into flames, the fire is hard to extinguish. There are videos showing EVs burning even underwater, although cooling the battery pack will end the fire relatively quickly. This is why one of the best methods to deal with vehicle fires is to submerge them in a water pool.

Although Li-ion batteries are generally safe, there are occasions when thermal runaways cause a fire. This usually happens when a problem with the battery cells leads to overheating. The Chevrolet Bolt EV owners probably discovered this after several cars burst into flames, prompting one of history’s largest recalls involving electric vehicles. Other brands, including Tesla, have had their fair share of battery fires, but EV fires are still very rare.

However, one car brand recorded more EV fires than others, at least judging by the number of fire reports over the past years. I’m talking about BYD, Tesla’s main rival, partner, and one of the biggest Li-ion battery manufacturers. Many such fires happened in 2021 and 2022, and the carmaker appeared to have solved its quality problems in the past years. However, another fire erupted on Thursday in a BYD showroom in Fuzhou, the capital of the Chinese province Fujian.

According to the Fuzhou Fire Department, the fire started from an electric vehicle parked inside the showroom. A video shared on Chinese social media showed a massive fire engulfing the showroom. Fortunately, nobody was injured during the incident, although 29 firefighters with seven fire trucks fought the blaze for almost an hour. Judging by a video showing the charred remains of the showroom, the fight was unsuccessful. The entire showroom building was burnt to the ground, together with the vehicles inside.

BYD is currently fighting Tesla for the title of the number one EV manufacturer in the world. The Chinese carmaker just launched Shark, a plug-in hybrid pickup truck in Mexico and intends to build a car factory there. However, it still claims that it has no intention of selling its cars in the US. Considering the recent 100% tariffs announced by the Biden Administration, this might very well be true.