One other Jaguar I-Tempo battery caught on fireplace with none crash after merely sitting charging in a storage. That is the fourth identified I-Tempo battery fireplace that seemingly began by itself, which is beginning to be important contemplating the comparatively small variety of items on the roads.
Jaguar additionally makes use of LG battery cells just like the Bolt EV and Kona EV, which had been each recalled for battery fireplace dangers. Is that this one other Bolt EV battery fireplace scenario?
The I-Tempo is Jaguar’s first and solely all-electric automobile.
It got here out in 2018, and we positively reviewed the automobile for its sporty design along with its respectable vary and charging capability on the time, however that was a number of years in the past.
The automobile has barely been up to date during the last 4 years, and it’s now displaying its age. However now, there would possibly an excellent larger problem with the electrical SUV.
In 2020, Gonzalo Salazar purchased a brand new 2019 Jaguar I-Tempo in Florida; he had been driving the electrical automobile with out problem for a number of years till an incident in June 2022. Salazar described the incident in an electronic mail to Electrek:
On June 16, I plugged the automobile in earlier than going to mattress. Within the morning of June 17, I wakened and unplugged the automobile. Later that morning, I got down to run some errands. I drove about 12 miles that morning earlier than returning again dwelling and parking the automobile again within the storage, leaving the storage door open. As I used to be doing issues at dwelling, I heard pops coming from the storage. I made a decision to go see the place the sounds had been coming from, and upon strolling into the storage, I confronted a thick wall of smoke. My thought instantly was, ‘When there may be smoke there may be fireplace,’ and I must get the automobile out of the home storage.
Wanting to guard his dwelling and his animals dwelling there, Salazar determined to see if he may get the I-Tempo out, although it was smoking. Surprisingly, he was capable of get from his storage to the residential road in entrance of his home.
He continued:
I went again to the home to get my cellphone and in addition seen that every one the smoke within the storage now had stuffed my total home as a result of the A/C unit is correct subsequent to the storage door. Whereas I used to be making an attempt to ventilate my home from the smoke I referred to as Jaguar roadside help to have them come get the automobile. After I ended the dialog with them there have been extra pops, however this time it was adopted by fireplace from underneath the automobile. I then referred to as 911 to come back assist with the scenario. However this was not a gradual burn, as soon as the fireplace began there have been a number of pops, and the automobile was simply engulfed in flames quickly.
Right here’s a video that Salazar’s neighbor took of the automobile as soon as it was totally engulfed in fireplace:
The hearth division confirmed up and poured flame retardant foam on the automobile till the fireplace was extinguished:
There have been particles flying in every single place so I saved my distance. After the fireplace division poured a particular foam fireplace suppressant for what appeared a very long time, the automobile was nonetheless making a buzzing sound coming from the entrance of the automobile.
Salazar shared some photos of the aftermath with Electrek:
Salazar was not impressed with how the aftermath of the incident was dealt with. Jaguar got here and picked up what remained of the automobile, however he was left with having to wash up a variety of particles on the road himself.
Then got here the investigation into the fireplace. Salazar instructed Electrek:
My insurance coverage firm despatched a forensic specialist, did their investigation, and declared the automobile a complete loss. Jaguar however will not be being useful in any respect, stating they should full their very own investigation, however due to the chance of igniting the fireplace as soon as once more, they’re unable to discover a place the place they’ll elevate the automobile up, subsequently their “investigation” is on maintain, and they aren’t taking any duty for what occurred.
Statistics now present that electrical automobile fires usually are not extra widespread than gasoline automobile fires; nevertheless, there are some points with electrical automobile fires that require extra consideration.
The media usually convey unwarranted consideration to electrical autos, particularly Tesla autos, catching on fireplace after high-speed crashes, which can be fairly widespread with gasoline-powered autos.
The place EV fires require consideration is when the electrical automobile’s battery pack catches on fireplace by itself with none accident or clear exterior components, like what seems to be the case with Salazar’s I-Tempo.
It’s additionally what occurred with the Chevy Bolt EV. A number of fires began when the electrical vehicles had been simply being parked or charging raised questions concerning the automobile’s battery pack, later leading to a defect discovered within the LG Chem battery cells used to make these packs.
Chevy and Hyundai – who additionally used LG Chem cells within the Kona EV – each ended up making huge remembers over the problem. Within the case of the previous, it took a variety of strain, together with a variety of reporting from Electrek, to lastly change the battery modules.
Within the case of the Jaguar I-Tempo, the automaker additionally makes use of LG pouch battery cells in its electrical automobile:
Now a single battery fireplace wouldn’t increase an alarm, however Salazar’s I-Tempo will not be the primary one to go up in flames underneath related circumstances.
Electrek reported on an early I-Tempo catching on fireplace whereas parked in a driveway within the Netherlands again in 2018. Final yr, one other I-Tempo caught on fireplace whereas parked in a driveway in Oregon. One other Jaguar I-Tempo caught on fireplace whereas charging in Hungary final October.
Due to this fact, Salazar’s I-Tempo is the fourth identified I-Tempo to catch on fireplace whereas parked or charging.
Whereas that’s not as many because the 17 identified Bolt EV battery fires, it’s nonetheless an honest quantity contemplating there are solely simply over 50,000 I-Tempo electrical autos on the highway right now. Compared, GM has delivered over 120,000 Chevy Bolt EVs.
Electrek contacted Jaguar concerning the Salazar’s I-Tempo fireplace and requested if the automaker has appeared right into a hyperlink between these 4 battery fires, particularly because it pertains to their LG battery cells.
Jaguar declined to reply our questions and responded with this assertion:
Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC is dedicated to our prospects’ security, and we’re conscious of this I-PACE incident in Boynton Seaside, FL. We’ve been in touch with and are cooperating with the shopper’s insurance coverage firm knowledgeable concerning a automobile inspection. JLRNA is unable to remark additional in your questions till the investigation is accomplished.
As beforehand famous, Jaguar had instructed Salazar that it wasn’t capable of finding a spot to examine the automobile.
Now it’s already on Copart’s salvaged automobile web site.
Electrek’s Take
I need to make it clear that fires usually are not a giant electrical automobile danger; it’s utterly potential to make a protected battery pack with good battery cells that received’t catch on fireplace on their very own. Once more, as beforehand talked about, a automobile catching on fireplace after a crash is a unique factor and positively not distinctive to electrical autos.
However these kinds of incidents the place an EV catches on fireplace by itself whereas parked or charging is unquestionably one thing that must be appeared into and probably result in a recall, like within the case of the Bolt EV.
Hopefully, Jaguar is actively trying into this as a result of it now makes three fires with related circumstances during the last yr with once more, a comparatively small variety of vehicles on the highway. This may be a problem.