Best-selling Chinese electric car deemed harmless because of its LFP batteries caught fire while charging. Experts ruled out batteries as the incident's generators.
China's best-selling electric car, Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV, or simply known as Mini EV, has reached the position of best-selling vehicle in the sector in the Asian country in the last year, surpassing even the mighty Elon Musk Tesla. The mini vehicle was once considered fire-free due to its LFP batteries which are not prone to explode or ignite. However, this “fame” may have been compromised last month, when one of these electric cars used for test-drive started to burn out while charging.
Chinese electric car with LFP batteries had its front consumed by fire
The accident happened in China, more precisely in the city of Haikou. According to the portal HNDNews, the firefighters arrived at the scene quickly and the fire of the electric car Chinese was brought under control without much effort, probably because the electric car's LFP batteries were not involved in the incident.
In the photos released by the press, it is possible to notice that the sales champion in the electric car sector in China had its entire front consumed by the fire, since the charging port is located in the center of the front grille of the model.
The left side of the front appears to be more compromised, which makes some people and experts believe that some component present on this side of the Chinese electric car could be the cause of the incident.
The firefighters are still investigating the possible causes of the incident, and are analyzing whether they can really rule out the involvement of the Batteries of LFP. It will also be necessary to pay attention to other components of electric cars that may have caused this type of accident.
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV has sold more than 100 units
The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, equipped with LFP batteries, can accommodate up to four people, measuring 1,49 meters in width, 2,92 meters in length and 1,60 meters in height. The vehicle offers a great space for luggage when the back seat is free of passengers, in total there are 741 liters of capacity.
The vehicle has become one of best selling electric cars in China, and despite the growing competition in its sector, the mini electric still remains at the top of the ranking. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), around 100 units have already been sold during the first quarter of this year.
Electric car fires
In addition to the Chinese electric car, equipped with LFP batteries, it is impossible not to remember when a Tesla electric car, the White Model S, caught fire in California last month, after having been parked for about three weeks in a junkyard.
Before it caught fire, the vehicle was already badly damaged due to a collision. When the Sacramento police team arrived at the scene, the electric vehicle was fully engulfed in flames, making it very difficult for firefighters to put out the blaze.
When they finally managed to reduce the fire, it rose again due to a release of gas in the battery compartment. Alongside the scrapyard team, firefighters moved the Tesla sideways to gain access to the compartment, located underneath the vehicle.
So that it would not light up again, due to the residual heat, the teams developed a small well, put the car inside and filled it with water, managing to access the battery compartment.
