On July 24, a Chinese-made electric car caught fire while in use in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The manufacturer’s employees arrived at the scene promptly but reportedly started tampering with the car without the owner’s permission, including removing the car emblem, an incident that quickly made its way to the top trending topics on Weibo the following day.
Videos circulating online showed a Geely ICONIQ ride-hailing car bursting into flames with passengers on board. Upon arrival, manufacturer staff were seen using tools on the car emblem and dismantling interior components before covering the burning vehicle with a black cloth.
According to reports by Dafeng News, the rental car company owning the Geely ICONIQ vehicle involved in the incident stated that a fire broke out during the car’s journey that afternoon. Firefighters extinguished the flames, and the manufacturer’s employees arrived at the scene. However, they proceeded to dismantle parts of the car without the owner’s consent.
When the rental company’s staff questioned the manufacturer’s actions, they were told it was authorized by higher-ups but were not given a clear reason. In later discussions, the manufacturer’s representatives allegedly remarked, “We can just compensate for any damages.”
Another report by Chaonews revealed that around noon on July 24, a Geely ICONIQ Alpha S caught fire near Moganshan Road in Hangzhou. After the firefighters contained the fire, the manufacturer’s employees turned their clothes inside out and removed all Geely logos from the car forcibly, without consent from the owner or firefighters present, covering the vehicle in a black sheet.
In response to the incidents of covering the car with black cloth and removing the emblem, Geely ICONIQ issued a statement on their official Weibo account on July 25, expressing sincere apologies for the improper actions of their staff and the inconvenience caused to the car owner and concerned supporters.
The statement clarified that the vehicle’s power battery voltage, temperature, insulation, and other data were normal before the fire, and pledged to release the assessment results promptly.
Geely ICONIQ belongs to Beijing Blue Valley Geely ICONIQ Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. The model involved in the fire incident is the Alpha S under Geely ICONIQ’s lineup, which was launched in April 2021 as a mid to large-sized electric sedan priced between 251,900 to 344,900 Chinese Yuan. The Alpha S used to be a key model for the company, with official figures showing Geely ICONIQ sold 30,000 cars in 2023, including 15,000 units of the Alpha S.
However, the sales of Alpha S have drastically declined this year. In the first half of this year, Geely ICONIQ sold 18,000 vehicles, with the Alpha S selling fewer than 1,000 units.