BYD Seal Burns in Hong Kong, What is the Cause?

JAKARTA - The BYD Seal electric car caught fire on Jalan Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, causing significant traffic disruption in the area.

Citing the Carnewschina website, Sunday, March 8, it was stated that the female driver managed to get out of the vehicle safely before the fire grew, and the local fire department managed to put out the fire shortly afterwards.

Of course this news makes electric car users worried, especially BYD Seal users in the country. So what is the cause?

The technical investigation conducted at the BYD service center confirmed that the fire was not caused by mechanical or electrical damage inherent to the vehicle.

On the other hand, the fire originated from an external power bank (portable charger) that was placed on the passenger seat, which experienced a short circuit or excessive heat release.

BYD issued an official statement clarifying that the vehicle's high-voltage system was not involved in the initial ignition, although the upper cabin structure was severely damaged.

The inspection verified that the 'Blade Battery' package and the integrated chassis remained intact. Although the cabin reached temperatures sufficient to melt the plastic and interior glass, the battery cells did not experience thermal runaway.

This is due to the high exothermic threshold of LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry, which is typically above 500 C, compared to the threshold of around 200 C of traditional NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) batteries. The battery's honeycomb aluminum structure serves as a thermal barrier, preventing external cabin fires from penetrating the cell compartment.

As is known, the BYD Seal is built on the e-Platform 3.0, using Cell-to-Body (CTB) technology that integrates the battery as a structural element of the chassis. The 'sandwich' design of the battery pack, which features high-strength aluminum panels, serves as a protective shield for the battery cells.