A recent vehicle fire involving a BYD Seal electric car in Hong Kong was traced to a surprisingly simple cause.
Local Hong Kong news outlet HKET reported that a silver BYD Seal caught fire on Tuen Mun Road, creating a plume of smoke near the Tsing Tin Interchange heading towards Yuen Long.
Photos from the scene confirmed the vehicle was a silver BYD Seal. Following the incident, BYD issued a statement expressing concern and gratitude to the fire department for their swift response.
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The automaker’s initial investigation revealed the fire was not the result of a mechanical issue. BYD emphasized that a detailed inspection by its technical team confirmed the vehicle’s chassis and core “Blade Battery” components remained intact, with no evidence of thermal runaway in the electrical system. The company stated the fire was not caused by the vehicle’s battery.
The team determined the fire originated from the passenger seat area. Based on information gathered at the scene and preliminary examinations, the source of the blaze was identified as a power bank left on the passenger seat. Investigators believe a short circuit or thermal runaway event within the power bank ignited surrounding materials, rather than a fault within the vehicle itself.
Inspection verified that the “Blade Battery” pack and integrated chassis remained intact. Whereas cabin temperatures rose sufficiently to melt interior plastics and glass, the battery cells did not experience thermal runaway. Here’s attributed to the high exothermic threshold of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which typically exceeds 500°C, compared to approximately 200°C for traditional Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) batteries.
BYD also cautioned owners to avoid leaving lithium-based products inside vehicles for extended periods, particularly in direct sunlight or high temperatures, to prevent similar incidents.
(rgr/din)
