BYD Atto 3 charging port fried while charging

It was evident that the electric vehicle's safety systems, such as the fuse or relay, failed to function correctly. I had to shut down the charging station by pressing the Emergency Stop Device (ESD) button.

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.

Here's what BHPian Guna had to say about the matter:

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.

Here's what BHPian CentreOfGravity had to say about the matter:

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.

Here's what BHPian Turbanator had to say about the matter:

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.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.