Introduction: Why Are There Group Self-Ignitions in SAIC Roewe Although It is Not a Small Factory?
Every summer is the peak period of electric vehicle self-ignition, such as the multiple self-ignitions of the Guangzhou Automobile Aion S last year. This year, the self-ignition fire burned to SAIC Roewe. It was reported that multiple self-ignitions occurred in the Roewe Ei5 facing the travel market, and the drivers were afraid to drive and even collectively returned the car.
Recently, a video uploaded by netizens showed that a Roewe electric taxi suddenly caught fire and was completely burned at a charging station under the Century Bridge in Haikou. From the scene, due to the early discovery of the fire, the firefighters rushed to the scene in time, and the vehicle’s ignition had been completely extinguished. The degree of overall damage to the vehicle cannot be defined, and a large amount of obvious fire foam can be seen around the vehicle.
After this incident came out, many social media rushed to report it, but unfortunately, the car company and the fire department have not yet given a statement, and the cause of the accident is still unknown.
According to car owners, the driving experience of the Roewe Ei5 is great and their family also likes the car very much. However, there is one problem that pure electric vehicles must face, and that is charging. Because the private charging pile was not installed properly, they had to go to the 4S store for charging every time, but the charging time in the 4S store was long. Therefore, they wanted to experience fast charging, and never expected the journey of being tortured. They charged at a nearby fast charging station for two or three minutes, but the charging gun disconnected. They couldn’t charge anymore no matter how they tried. They directly went to the 4S store for inspection. After three days of inspection, the store had excluded everything that could be detected, and they were finally told that they couldn’t fix it. Finally, the Shanghai manufacturer sent someone to do the inspection and found that the battery was the problem. Consumers buy pure electric vehicles for charging cars, and are informed that the battery is malfunctioning. The main component appeared problematic just 20 days after the car was purchased.
Netizens also said that this experience made them feel the helplessness of a small consumer facing a large company.
The new car arrived two months ago, and the problem with the battery has not been resolved. Soon after, the brake system also alarmed, one problem after another, making this car owner’s heart palpitate.The Ei5 model by Roewe has had more than one issue, with the most frequent being spontaneous combustion. Despite many netizens expressing safety concerns about the vehicle, SAIC Roewe has yet to respond to any negative incidents involving the Ei5, with their newest Weibo post being a promotion for the RX5 PLUS.
Some media outlets interviewed Mr. Pan, a taxi driver in a 4S dealership, who said, “This car not only belongs to our company, but many other cars also caught fire last month and this month. It’s particularly frequent.” The driver continued to say that even if they continue driving the car, they will still be very worried, but they have no choice. Many drivers feel that the vehicle has safety hazards, and many people have unanimously demanded to return the car.
It is worth noting that before the incident occurred, there had been several news reports about Roewe Ei5 spontaneous combustion incidents. As early as July 3, at the intersection of Nanyang Road and Songzhai South Street in Zhengzhou, Henan, a Roewe Ei5 taxi caught fire while parked on the side of the road, and the fire engulfed the entire front of the car.
However, prior to this accident, Zhengzhou had announced a policy to replace all cruising taxis with pure electric vehicles by the end of 2021, and local taxi drivers who purchased vehicles were eligible for purchase subsidies. Therefore, Roewe Ei5 and other electric vehicles became the preferred choice for many taxi drivers, and Roewe Ei5 and similar electric vehicles have a relatively large share of the taxi market in Zhengzhou. Incidents of spontaneous combustion have occurred more than once.
In June of this year, a Roewe Ei5 caught fire on Longhua East Road in Shanghai, and preliminary judgment says it was caused by battery failure. The fire started at the bottom of the vehicle.
In July of this year, at Dongguan International Business Plaza on Fengxiang West Road, Haikou, a Roewe new energy taxi caught fire and burned in the parking lot. The cause of the fire is still unclear. According to eye-witnesses on the scene, “I saw white smoke from far away, and when I went closer, I found out that the vehicle was on fire. The charging gun was still plugged in, and I don’t know if the vehicle was charging or not.” After the incident, personnel from the rental company and insurance company arrived on the scene and processed the vehicle, which was then removed on the same day.In August this year, a citizen reported that a new energy vehicle being charged at the Xiaojvju charging station on Haifu Second Cross Road in Meilan District of Haikou suddenly emitted thick smoke and caught fire. Fortunately, the plug was pulled out in time, and local residents reported the fire, calling for help. After the local firefighting and rescue team arrived and put out the fire, the smoke gradually dispersed, but the car started to smoke again soon after extinguishing the initial fire. Luckily, the firefighters rushed back to handle the situation, avoiding a more serious accident. According to the reporter’s investigation, the new energy vehicle that caught fire for unknown reasons was a Roewe new energy vehicle.
Although SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) has not issued an official statement regarding the spontaneous combustion incident, most automakers choose to deal with the car owners’ complaints privately.
Ei5 is a compact pure electric vehicle under SAIC Roewe, equipped with Shanghai Godrive’s newly designed power battery pack. The large-scale spontaneous combustion of the Roewe Ei5 this year is directly related to the immature technology design of Godrive.
Reports show that although the Roewe Ei5 NEDC comprehensive cruising range has been improved to 501km, the actual test results show that it can only achieve a range of just over 300km. If the air conditioning is on during the summer and winter or it is affected by temperature, the actual range of use may be further reduced, which means that the car owner can only use it for short-distance commuting.
Overall, Roewe’s Ei5 electric vehicle has been reported by consumers to have “system failures, motor failures, and automatic parking failures” and other problems in the market. From this, it can be seen that SAIC Roewe’s technology in the “motor, electric control, and battery” areas of electric vehicles is not very mature, which is not acceptable for a major company under SAIC.
If one or two cars have isolated problems, it can be understood. However, with a series of spontaneous combustion accidents and mechanical problems, is it not worthwhile for the manufacturer to carefully examine the safety and quality of the car? In terms of service, every spontaneous combustion accident faces a complicated process of safeguarding consumer rights. The manufacturer should take the quality of the vehicle seriously and maintain positive communication with consumers, which is the correct way. Once again, everyone is reminded to pay special attention to safety when driving in the summer.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.