Tata Nexon EV bursts in flames: First EV fire for Tata Motors under investigation

The past few months have seen a number of electric scooters going up in flames in India. These incidents led to the beginning of a series of investigations and raised questions on EV safety. But these incidents had so far been limited to two-wheelers. Now though, an electric car has been filmed on fire in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The car seen in the video is a Tata Nexon EV and Tata Motors has assured that an investigation has been initiated in the matter.
"A detailed investigation is currently being conducted to ascertain the facts of the recent isolated thermal incident that is doing the rounds on social media. We will share a detailed response after our complete investigation. We remain committed to the safety of our vehicles and their users. This is a first incident after more than 30,000 EVs have cumulatively covered over 1 million km across the country in nearly 4 years," the company said in a press statement.
The video shows a Tata Nexon EV engulfed in flames at Vasai West, a Mumbai suburb. Sprays of water are seen being hurled at it. Although water is not the best agent to put out an electrical fire, it can help in keeping the fire from spreading to the surroundings. The fire was eventually doused.
Electric car fires are not a new phenomenon. A number of Tesla cars have also burst into flames in recent times. A very recent incident from California saw a Tesla spontaneously erupt in flames. However, this vehicle had been sitting in a junkyard after begin involved in an accident.
Another incident in May this year made news when a Tesla Model Y driver in Canada stated that they had to 'kick their way out of the car' when the vehicle caught fire while on the move. In July 2019, an all-electric version of the Hyundai Kona exploded in an owner's garage in Montreal. The same year, carmaker NIO recalled 4,803 units of its EVs in China after fire-related incidents in May.
As for the Nexon EV, the exact cause of the fire is not known yet. The car packs a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. We will update our readers as and when the company has more to say on the subject.
Watch Viral video: Tata Nexon EV catches fire in Mumbai