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 vital contemplating the comparatively small variety of models on the roads.
Jaguar additionally makes use of LG battery cells just like the Bolt EV and Kona EV, which have 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 first rate vary and charging capability on the time, however that was a couple of years in the past.
The automobile has barely been up to date over the past 4 years, and it’s now exhibiting its age. However now, there would possibly an excellent larger concern 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 concern for a couple of years till an incident in June 2022. Salazar described the incident in an e mail to Electrek:
On June 16, I plugged the automobile in earlier than going to mattress. Within the morning of June 17, I awakened 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 have been coming from, and upon strolling into the storage, I confronted a thick wall of smoke. My thought instantly was, ‘When there’s smoke there’s fireplace,’ and I must get the automobile out of the home storage.
Wanting to guard his dwelling and his animals residing there, Salazar determined to see if he might get the I-Tempo out, despite the fact that 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 likewise observed that every one the smoke within the storage now had crammed my complete home as a result of the A/C unit is true 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 return assist with the scenario. However this was not a sluggish burn, as soon as the hearth 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 hearth was extinguished:
There have been particles flying in every single place so I stored my distance. After the hearth 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 scrub up a whole lot of particles on the road himself.
Then got here the investigation into the hearth. Salazar informed Electrek:
My insurance coverage firm despatched a forensic specialist, did their investigation, and declared the automobile a complete loss. Jaguar alternatively shouldn’t be being useful in any respect, stating they should full their very own investigation, however due to the chance of igniting the hearth as soon as once more, they’re unable to discover a place the place they will raise the automobile up, subsequently their “investigation” is on maintain, and they don’t seem to be taking any accountability for what occurred.
Statistics now present that electrical automobile fires are usually not extra frequent than gasoline automobile fires; nevertheless, there are some points with electrical automobile fires that require extra consideration.
The media typically carry unwarranted consideration to electrical automobiles, particularly Tesla automobiles, catching on fireplace after high-speed crashes, which can also be fairly frequent with gasoline-powered automobiles.
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 elements, 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 have been simply being parked or charging raised questions in regards to 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 recollects over the difficulty. Within the case of the previous, it took a whole lot of stress, together with a whole lot of reporting from Electrek, to lastly substitute 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 elevate an alarm, however Salazar’s I-Tempo shouldn’t be the primary one to go up in flames underneath comparable circumstances.
Electrek reported on an early I-Tempo catching on fireplace whereas parked in a driveway within the Netherlands again in 2018. Final 12 months, 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 a good quantity contemplating there are solely simply over 50,000 I-Tempo electrical automobiles on the street at present. As compared, GM has delivered over 120,000 Chevy Bolt EVs.
Electrek contacted Jaguar in regards to the Salazar’s I-Tempo fireplace and requested if the automaker has seemed 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 clients’ security, and we’re conscious of this I-PACE incident in Boynton Seashore, FL. We’ve got been in touch with and are cooperating with the shopper’s insurance coverage firm skilled relating to a automobile inspection. JLRNA is unable to remark additional in your questions till the investigation is accomplished.
As beforehand famous, Jaguar had informed 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 are usually not a giant electrical automobile threat; it’s fully potential to make a secure 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 definitely not distinctive to electrical automobiles.
However some of these incidents the place an EV catches on fireplace by itself whereas parked or charging is unquestionably one thing that must be seemed 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 comparable circumstances over the past 12 months with once more, a comparatively small variety of vehicles on the street. This is likely to be a difficulty.
