[Omkar]

Thanks to Thwalhath Abdul Rasheed for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint and express my deep concern regarding a critical safety incident involving my BYD Atto 3. The incident occurred on July 25, 2024, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu while the vehicle was charging at a DC charging station. To my utmost shock and dismay, the car caught fire during the charging process.

Upon investigation, it was evident that the car's safety systems, such as the fuse or relay, failed to function correctly, resulting in the car catching fire. Alarmingly, the current flow was not interrupted during the incident. I had to personally shut down the charging station by pressing the Emergency Stop Device (ESD) button to prevent further damage.

I immediately reported the incident to BYD India and EVM Autokraft, Kochi. However, I was met with a disappointing response, as both parties denied the warranty for a month old car.

As a professional working in the energy field with a solid understanding of electricity, I can confidently state that the arguments presented by EVM Autokraft, Kochi and BYD India lack merit. The denial of warranty under these conditions is both unjustifiable and indicative of poor business practices.

I urge BYD to take immediate action to address this matter by:

• Conducting a thorough investigation into the safety system failure of my vehicle.
  
• Providing a detailed explanation for the failure and the steps that will be taken to replace the car.
  
• Honouring the warranty and covering all damages and losses incurred due to this incident.
  
• Ensuring that such incidents are prevented in the future through improved safety measures and rigorous quality control.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRD3rvLt0Ew

[DHARM]

This is really scary, what should EV owner do if they face similar situation? calling fire brigade is imminent to dowse the fire if happens at home but is there any way we can control the damage before fire truck arrives?

Moderators, please share any such thread available or if not please open a new one for Indian EV perspective if not available

[Guna]

Forget about the warranty, I am surprised that they didn't pick up the car immediately and provided a spare car until the investigation is over. For a brand who is trying to establish in India, they should take these seriously for their own benefit and should look at it as an isolated incident.

[CentreOfGravity]

This is quite serious. While EV fires aren't a new thing, this is the first time I've heard of a car catching fire while charging. BYD better run a thorough investigation of this incident and come up with a proper, believable report. If it's their mistake, they ought to own it up instead of playing the blame game. However, the possibility of this being caused due to a defect at the charging station cannot be completely ruled out either, can it?

I must also add, this appears to be a one-off incident. Thankfully nothing major has happened.

[vickster]

This sounds scary especially since it occurred while using a DC charger. Why is the dealer and BYD denying you warranty? What is the reason specified? I thought BYDs were way ahead in the EV space to be honest.

[govindremesh]

Not at all surprising for me and a good example of "you get what you pay for". While the Chinese are good at mass production and following assembling instructions to the point, they suck at reliable and quality engineering that can stand the test of time.

Pretty disappointing that BYD has stooped so low that they're not even honoring the warranty for a brand new car, in what looks like either an engineering or a quality control problem in their product. Nonetheless, given the lack of "effective" consumer protection laws in our country, the owner should have been mentally prepared for such an eventuality.

Like most electronic devices engineered in China which are use and throw, it seems that their EVs are no different. I never buy a Chinese engineered appliance - I wouldn't touch a Chinese EV with a 10 foot pole, with my assumption being cemented after driving an MG ZS EV here in the Netherlands.

[zandot]

Originally Posted by Omkar

Thanks to Thwalhath Abdul Rasheed for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts

Can we get the reason they denied the warranty claim please?

[manjubp]

In this situation, if the warranty claim is denied and there is no further assurance of quality from the manufacturers, owner should take legal action not only in consumer court, but also as criminal breach of trust and publicizing the issue widely

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by Omkar

I immediately reported the incident to BYD India and EVM Autokraft, Kochi. However, I was met with a disappointing response, as both parties denied the warranty for a month old car.

Hence proven, risky to deal with a new company with nothing to lose-mentality.

All I can do from my side is copy this youtube video link and TBhp link and broadcast across my whatsapp status, insta, snap and targetted groups of individuals who can be made aware of such perils with such lesser known manufacturers.

Shame on the Company for such a lousy product, one...

and two, Go-To-Hell mentality of dealer and brand owner.

[Turbanator]

I don't understand how the charging gun is loose and the current continues to pass. There has to be a mechanism which ensures that the charge is passed only when the gun is inserted properly. It's not as if someone can plug any appliance and there can be looseness for whatever reasons. Or the quality of the plugs in the gun or the car can be the reason.

This kind of incident will go bad against this manufacturer more so when they are refusing a warranty. A very foolish step by the manufacturer/ dealer if true. Will be interesting to hear what does dealer or the company has to say- they will need to answer on the refusal of the claim.

[zeng]

Appears to me connection contact point is loose and thus generating heat.

Is the charging gun system the culprit from engineering perspective?

And the charging system is fully absolved of responsibility/liability?

[kadumanushya]

Originally Posted by zeng

Appears to me connection contact point is loose and thus generating heat.

Is the charging gun system the culprit from engineering perspective?

And the charging system is fully absolved of responsibility/liability?

This appears to be not unknown to BYD. Fire/heat damage during charging appears to have happened in Thailand AND Hong Kong.

BYD obviously blames errors in the charger circuit.

Here's the HK one. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...could-be-cause

[NT_GT]

I nominate the fellow working without protection for Darwin award - pulling out the hot pin with pliers, cleaning up with naked hands and inhaling toxic fumes.
At least, wait for the hot components to cool down and fumes stop coming out.

[dhanushs]

Am I missing something here? Denying warranty is absolutely ridiculous considering this is a very normal use case.

Have you gone through any mods in the car or used a non-specified charger? Please elaborate as to why warranty was denied.

Given the sentiment of Electric cars in India, the brand/dealer should've been proactive in offering a solution.

[sgoyal9]

Crazy. Just crazy stuff from BYD.
They should be doing their utmost to appear sincere and try to resolve the issue and do their best to put current customers and any potential customers at ease. But to the contrary, they are denying even warranty!
What happened and why it happened are secondary in my opinion. First should have been some empathy and support to their customer. Why the high handedness?
Does not bode well for their brand image at all.