At the start of January 2024, it was reported that a Mercedes-Benz EQB was consumed by fire while charging at a dealership in Johor on new year’s eve, with no injuries occuring in the incident. Later that month, the Energy Commission (ST) released a statement that the company operating the charging bay was found to be doing so without a license from the ST. However, it was never disclosed what had triggered the mishap in the first place.
More than a year later, the cause of what started the fire has been revealed. This came about when Bomba Malaysia director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad mentioned the incident earlier in the week when he was asked by reporters about the risk of EV fires at charging facilities in petrol stations.
“To date, there have been no EV fire cases at petrol stations. However, we did record one case in Johor where an EV caught fire while charging at a service centre. Investigations with the car manufacturer and our expert team found that the fire was not caused by the power supply or charging unit, but rather pre-existing damage within the battery capsule, which led to a short circuit between cells,” he said.
Following this, we reached out to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia to seek further clarification, and the company has responded with a statement on the matter.
“Regarding the incident of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle catching fire at the Mercedes-Benz showroom in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, the investigations by our HQ technical experts, in cooperation with local authorities, have concluded that there are no indications for a vehicle-related technical defect that might have caused the incident. Meanwhile, the electrical system of the battery did not show any abnormality,” the statement said.
Apparently, the battery itself or the electrical system had no faults, but prior external damage likely caused an internal short circuit to occur, leading to the thermal runaway. While a rare occurrence, it highlights a point that all automakers need to be prepared for such incidents and look into introducing additional safeguards to warn users.
The company said that safety was paramount in all its vehicles, electric or otherwise. “As a matter of principle, Mercedes-Benz applies the same high safety standards to all its vehicles. This applies to vehicles with conventional combustion engines as well as to those with alternative drive systems. This means that the Mercedes-Benz vehicles meet all legal standards and norms.”
The brand has of course been at the forefront of electrification in the country. Besides having the highest number of BEV models on sale in Malaysia – EQA, EQB, EQC, EQE (sedan, SUV and AMG sedan) and EQS (sedan, SUV and AMG sedan) as well as the Maybach EQS – it has also been expanding its EV charging network for its customers on a steady basis.
Its commitment to an electric future here is also highlighted through its proactive engagement with the government, and in public safety with authorities such as Bomba, accomplished by equipping rescue teams with the necessary knowledge and tools to manage EV emergencies.
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