Volvo C40 Recharge EV Catches Fire; What Happened Here?

As per Volvo, the embedded safety features of the car informed the driver to take the car aside and step out of the vehicle, and the owner fortunately managed to escape.

Volvo C40 Recharge Catches Fire In Chhattisgarh

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

A Volvo C40 Recharge electric SUV burst into flames in Chhattisgarh and it happened on a highway. The actual cause is yet to be revealed and Volvo is currently investigating. As per Volvo, the embedded safety features informed the driver to take the car aside and step out of the car and the owner has fortunately escaped. 

The incident does again put the spotlight on EV safety particularly in the issue regarding the battery of an electric vehicle- the main component in the car. The C40 Recharge comes with a 78kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 530 km on a single charge. The battery pack is a lithium-ion battery which has been integrated low within the chassis. 

While the actual reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained and investigations are underway, the reason could be centered around the battery pack. EVs catching fire is due to overheating. The primary reason is called 'Thermal Runaway' where batteries, which have energy with the lithium ions inside a battery cell, have been affected by short-circuits and result in a fire due to the cells heating up quickly. 

Another reason could be due to driving the EV too fast or using the brakes too much which builds up heat. We will know the actual reason soon but other things to note are the fact that a Lithium Ion battery fire engulfs the car quickly and burns out longer. While carmakers have safeguarded battery packs, a fire does raise the question of the safety of EVs but do note that EV fires are actually less in comparison to conventional vehicle fires. 

No Injury Due To Safety Features, Says Volvo Car India 

In a statement on Wednesday, Volvo Car India said that it has taken the incident very seriously. "We are aware of an incident on Saturday involving a fire on a C40 while being driven. The embedded safety features informed the driver to take the car aside and step out of the car. There were no injuries & all occupants were safe. Our Customer Care call centre was online to guide the customer on requisite safety measures. At Volvo Cars we pride ourselves on the safety of our cars and have taken this incident very seriously. The said vehicle will be minutely examined by our technical experts to ascertain the cause. We are in touch with and continue to support the customer," the statement read.