One other Jaguar I-Tempo battery caught on hearth with none crash after merely sitting charging in a storage. That is the fourth recognized I-Tempo battery hearth that seemingly began by itself, which is beginning to be vital contemplating the comparatively small variety of items on the roads.
Jaguar additionally makes use of LG battery cells just like the Bolt EV and Kona EV, which have been each recalled for battery hearth dangers. Is that this one other Bolt EV battery hearth scenario?
The I-Tempo is Jaguar’s first and solely all-electric car.
It got here out in 2018, and we positively reviewed the car for its sporty design along with its respectable vary and charging capability on the time, however that was a couple of years in the past.
The car has barely been up to date during the last 4 years, and it’s now displaying its age. However now, there would possibly a fair greater situation with the electrical SUV.
In 2020, Gonzalo Salazar purchased a brand new 2019 Jaguar I-Tempo in Florida; he had been driving the electrical automobile with out situation for a couple of years till an incident in June 2022. Salazar described the incident in an e mail to Electrek:
On June 16, I plugged the automobile in earlier than going to mattress. Within the morning of June 17, I awoke and unplugged the automobile. Later that morning, I got down to run some errands. I drove about 12 miles that morning earlier than returning again dwelling and parking the automobile again within the storage, leaving the storage door open. As I used to be doing issues at dwelling, I heard pops coming from the storage. I made a decision to go see the place the sounds have been coming from, and upon strolling into the storage, I confronted a thick wall of smoke. My thought instantly was, ‘When there’s smoke there’s hearth,’ and I have to get the automobile out of the home storage.
Wanting to guard his dwelling and his animals residing there, Salazar determined to see if he might get the I-Tempo out, although it was smoking. Surprisingly, he was capable of get from his storage to the residential avenue in entrance of his home.
He continued:
I went again to the home to get my telephone and likewise seen that every one the smoke within the storage now had stuffed my total home as a result of the A/C unit is correct subsequent to the storage door. Whereas I used to be making an attempt to ventilate my home from the smoke I referred to as Jaguar roadside help to have them come get the automobile. After I ended the dialog with them there have been extra pops, however this time it was adopted by hearth from below the automobile. I then referred to as 911 to come back assist with the scenario. However this was not a sluggish burn, as soon as the hearth began there have been a number of pops, and the automobile was simply engulfed in flames quickly.
Right here’s a video that Salazar’s neighbor took of the car as soon as it was absolutely engulfed in hearth:
The hearth division confirmed up and poured flame retardant foam on the car till the hearth was extinguished:
There have been particles flying all over the place so I stored my distance. After the hearth division poured a particular foam hearth suppressant for what appeared a very long time, the automobile was nonetheless making a buzzing sound coming from the entrance of the automobile.
Salazar shared some photos of the aftermath with Electrek:
Salazar was not impressed with how the aftermath of the incident was dealt with. Jaguar got here and picked up what remained of the automobile, however he was left with having to scrub up a whole lot of particles on the road himself.
Then got here the investigation into the hearth. Salazar advised Electrek:
My insurance coverage firm despatched a forensic specialist, did their investigation, and declared the automobile a complete loss. Jaguar however shouldn’t be being useful in any respect, stating they should full their very own investigation, however due to the danger of igniting the hearth as soon as once more, they’re unable to discover a place the place they will carry the automobile up, subsequently their “investigation” is on maintain, and they aren’t taking any accountability for what occurred.
Statistics now present that electrical automobile fires will not be extra widespread than gasoline automobile fires; nonetheless, there are some points with electrical automobile fires that require extra consideration.
The media typically deliver unwarranted consideration to electrical automobiles, particularly Tesla automobiles, catching on hearth after high-speed crashes, which can be fairly widespread with gasoline-powered automobiles.
The place EV fires require consideration is when the electrical car’s battery pack catches on hearth by itself with none accident or clear exterior components, like what seems to be the case with Salazar’s I-Tempo.
It’s additionally what occurred with the Chevy Bolt EV. A number of fires began when the electrical automobiles have been simply being parked or charging raised questions in regards to the car’s battery pack, later leading to a defect discovered within the LG Chem battery cells used to make these packs.
Chevy and Hyundai – who additionally used LG Chem cells within the Kona EV – each ended up making large remembers over the difficulty. Within the case of the previous, it took a whole lot of stress, together with a whole lot of reporting from Electrek, to lastly exchange the battery modules.
Within the case of the Jaguar I-Tempo, the automaker additionally makes use of LG pouch battery cells in its electrical car:
Now a single battery hearth wouldn’t increase an alarm, however Salazar’s I-Tempo shouldn’t be the primary one to go up in flames below comparable circumstances.
Electrek reported on an early I-Tempo catching on hearth whereas parked in a driveway within the Netherlands again in 2018. Final 12 months, one other I-Tempo caught on hearth whereas parked in a driveway in Oregon. One other Jaguar I-Tempo caught on hearth whereas charging in Hungary final October.
Subsequently, Salazar’s I-Tempo is the fourth recognized I-Tempo to catch on hearth whereas parked or charging.
Whereas that’s not as many because the 17 recognized Bolt EV battery fires, it’s nonetheless a good quantity contemplating there are solely simply over 50,000 I-Tempo electrical automobiles on the highway in the present day. As compared, GM has delivered over 120,000 Chevy Bolt EVs.
Electrek contacted Jaguar in regards to the Salazar’s I-Tempo hearth and requested if the automaker has regarded right into a hyperlink between these 4 battery fires, particularly because it pertains to their LG battery cells.
Jaguar declined to reply our questions and responded with this assertion:
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC is dedicated to our prospects’ security, and we’re conscious of this I-PACE incident in Boynton Seaside, FL. Now we have been in touch with and are cooperating with the shopper’s insurance coverage firm professional relating to a car inspection. JLRNA is unable to remark additional in your questions till the investigation is accomplished.
As beforehand famous, Jaguar had advised Salazar that it wasn’t capable of finding a spot to examine the car.
Now it’s already on Copart’s salvaged car web site.
Electrek’s Take
I wish to make it clear that fires will not be an enormous electrical car danger; it’s utterly doable to make a secure battery pack with good battery cells that received’t catch on hearth on their very own. Once more, as beforehand talked about, a car catching on hearth after a crash is a distinct factor and positively not distinctive to electrical automobiles.
However a lot of these incidents the place an EV catches on hearth by itself whereas parked or charging is unquestionably one thing that must be regarded into and probably result in a recall, like within the case of the Bolt EV.
Hopefully, Jaguar is actively trying into this as a result of it now makes three fires with comparable circumstances during the last 12 months with once more, a comparatively small variety of automobiles on the highway. This could be a problem.
