Videos of the Volvo C40 Recharge engulfed in a huge ball of fire have surfaced on the internet; luckily no casualties involved
UPDATE: OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM VOLVO
“We are aware of an incident on Saturday involving a fire on a C40 while being driven. The embedded safety features informed the driver to take the car aside and step out of the car. There were no injuries & all occupants were safe. Our Customer Care call center was online to guide the customer on requisite safety measures. At Volvo Cars we pride ourselves on the safety of our cars and have taken this incident very seriously. The said vehicle will be minutely examined by our technical experts to ascertain the cause. We are in touch with and continue to support the customer.”
Volvo Cars India introduced the C40 Recharge at a starting introductory price of Rs. 61.25 lakh (ex-showroom) in the domestic market in September 2023. The second all-electric offering from the Swedish auto giant after the XC40 Recharge takes on rivals such as Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. The electric passenger vehicle space has been gathering traction over the last two years.
In the luxury segment, manufacturers are bringing in zero-emission vehicles just days or months after their global debut due to the good reception amongst customers. The midsize electric SUV segment will witness the arrival of a number of new models over the next couple of years too as well as the fledgling market has seen increased takers recently.
However, all is not smooth sailing as the range anxiety and safety have often been the biggest concerns amongst prospective buyers. Volvo, which has built its reputation around high safety standards and proactive technologies, has come under scrutiny as videos of the C40 Recharge engulfed in a huge ball of fire have surfaced on the internet in India.
Luckily no casualties or life-threatening injuries occurred at the scene as the passengers encountered a narrow escape in the highway incident. While the actual reasons are yet to be investigated, we do hope Volvo would release a transparent statement after examining the root cause. It is worth noting that the C40 Recharge is equipped with LG Pouch NMC cells.
The EVs featuring this cell type have faced recalls from other brands but we do not know yet if the same cells have caused the fire in the C40 Recharge. The battery manufacturing, critical electric componentary and technologies involved will play a key role in the working efficiency of an electric vehicle and it is hard to pinpoint what went wrong at the moment in the C40 Recharge’s case.
The Volvo C40 Recharge comes with the same 78 kWh battery pack found in the XC40 Recharge, besides a twin electric motor setup with a total power output of 408 hp and 660 Nm. It has a claimed driving range of 530 km on a single charge and is claimed to do zero to 100 kmph in 4.7 seconds.