China’s new energy vehicles are facing a wave of fires. On Monday (April 29), a new energy vehicle caught fire on the Nanpu Bridge in Shanghai, leaving the vehicle charred and one person injured and sent to the hospital. The vehicle that caught fire was identified as the Jianghuai Sihao E50A.
At 2:33 pm on April 29, a sedan caught fire on the Pu Xi Lower Incline Bridge in the direction from Pudong to Puxi on the Nanpu Bridge, with one person injured and taken to the hospital. The incident was resolved by around 4 pm. Currently, the cause of the fire is under investigation.
According to the mainland media New Evening News, witnesses stated that the accident occurred on the Pu Dong to Pu Xi Lower Incline Bridge of the Nanpu Bridge. When the accident happened, a sedan with a new energy license plate was parked on the far right lane going from east to west on the Lower Incline Bridge, with flames visible in the driver’s compartment and the rear seats. Thick smoke billowed from the vehicle, prompting the driver to call emergency services after getting out of the car. Other passing drivers quickly changed lanes to the left and drove away from the scene. Due to the rapid spread of the fire, the vehicle engulfed in flames quickly turned into a raging inferno.
By 2:40 pm, the visible flames were extinguished, and the burning vehicle became a charred shell, unrecognizable. The traffic in the Pudong to Puxi direction of the Nanpu Bridge was temporarily blocked due to the accident, resulting in congestion. By around 3 pm, the burned vehicle was towed away from the scene.
Reports from the media identified the burning vehicle as a Sihao E50A, with a list price ranging from 152,900 to 189,800 yuan.
The News Morning “021 Video” posted on their official Weibo account: “According to passengers inside the vehicle, the burning vehicle model is the Jianghuai Sihao Love Racing model.”
Public records show that the Sihao brand was established in April 2018 as a new brand released by Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. in a joint venture with Volkswagen Group (China), known as Volkswagen (Anhui) Co., Ltd. (formerly named Jianghuai Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd.).
This incident has drawn attention from netizens regarding the safety of new energy vehicles.
“Driving new energy vehicles is like putting your life on the line.” “Cherish life, stay away from electric cars.” “Batteries discharge easily in winter, prevent spontaneous combustion in summer.” “Never buy an electric car, life is precious and limited.” “We are not even in high-temperature weather yet.” “Those who don’t own a car, it’s best not to buy a new energy vehicle, the risk factor is high.” “Electric vehicle fires are common, be cautious.” “This is the result of rampant development.”