This Best-selling Electric Car In China Suddenly Caught Fire, What's The Reason?

Geely Xingyuan suddenly caught fire in China. (Photo: Carnewschina)

JAKARTA Based on the latest data up to 2025 from various reliable sources such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) report, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, EV FireSafe Australia, and the Polish Fire Service, the ratio of internal combustion engine (ICE) or fueled with gasoline/diesel higher than electric cars (EV). EV fires are indeed rarer, although when they occur, lithium-ion battery fires can be more difficult to extinguish because temperatures are higher (up to 2,500 gallons of water are needed vs 500-1,100 gallons for ICE).

However, although the ratio is small, the news about the burning of an electric car is quite interesting due to the length of time for the blackout.

Most recently, China's best-selling electric car, Geely Xingyuan, reportedly caught fire in an industrial area in Suzhou, Jiangsu. Luckily, this incident did not cause any casualties or injuries.

According to a report from Hongxing News, it was continued by Carnewschina, Thursday, October 30, the EV hatchback Geely Xingyuan, a model that had sold 343,351 units from January to September 2025, suddenly emitted fire. Witnesses at the scene heard several explosions such as fireworks before the fire quickly devoured the entire car.

Until this news was published, the exact cause of the fire was still in the official investigation stage. There was no official comment from Geely Automobile regarding the incident.

Speculation of the Cause of the Fire

Although the car was charred, preliminary investigations have not shown that the source of the fire originated in the battery. Xingyuan uses the LFP Short Blade Aegis (ShenDun) battery which is known to have a good safety track record.

In a short video circulating, the fire is seen to flare up violently, especially at the top of the car body. A Chinese automotive blogger, Dianche Xiaopi, suspects the incident was caused by cabin fires. He highlighted potential problems such as static electricity and the presence of flammable items left in an electric car.

Incidentally interesting, the Geely Xingyuan fire broke out on the same day as the burning of the Premium Li Auto Mega minivan in Shanghai.

Getting To Know Geely Xingyuan

Geely Xingyuan is a compact electric hatchback that will launch in China in 2024 and quickly become one of the best-selling cars in the market. The model is priced quite affordable starting from 68,800 yuan or equivalent to Rp. 161 million.

The basic variant is powered by a 58 kW (78 hp) electric motor and a 30.12 kWh LFP battery pack, offering a distance of 310 km CLTC. The model also has a stronger variant with a 85 kW (114 hp) motorcycle and a 40.16 kWh battery for a range of 410 km.

This year, Geely plans to bring the Xingyuan model to the global market, where it will be sold under the Geely EX2 name as part of their EX series.