Video: Tata Nexon EV catches fire in Mumbai; investigating the incident, says Tata in statement

The Tata Nexon EV has been a successful product for the Indian automaker and has helped the Nexon brand overall to secure top positions in the market. The success of the Nexon EV also encouraged Tata Motors to introduce a long-range version of the sub-compact SUV called the Tata Nexon EV MAX. Tata Motors also plans to launch multiple electrified products in the future. 

Tata Nexon EV fire in Mumbai 

A white Tata Nexon EV on Wednesday caught fire in the Vasai area of metropolitan Mumbai. This is the first known case of a Tata Nexon EV catching fire since the car was launched in 2020. While e-scooters in the recent past have caught fire in the country owing to India’s warmer climatic conditions and in some cases, poor battery thermal management, the rare case of an electric car catching fire was recorded yesterday. 

The owner of the vehicle reported that the car was being topped up via a slow charger at the owner’s office. Later, the user unplugged the vehicle and drove off. After having driven about 4 – 5 km in the city limits, the owner reported hearing clicking sounds from the vehicle and also noted warning lights flashing on the car’s dash. The owner parked the vehicle on the side of the road and stepped out of it. He then noticed fumes erupting from the vehicle’s battery pack location. 

The vehicle eventually caught fire and the fire brigade in the locality assisted in dousing the fire with water. EV fires take a longer time to fade off as battery cells keep erupting in a chain reaction. It is also not prescribed to douse an electrical fire with water, but in cases of a vehicle, it sometimes becomes necessary to do so to control the spread of the fire to surrounding areas. 

In most cases, batteries are at risk of catching fire if fast charged for a prolonged duration of time. In some cases, poor thermal management of the battery also leads to such events. In some cases, a damaged battery pack after a vehicle has met an accident or
compromised the seal after being bashed on the road can also be a reason for a disintegrating battery pack. 

Tata Motors’ response 

“A detailed investigation is currently being conducted to ascertain the facts of the recent isolated thermal incident that is doing the rounds on social media. We will share a detailed response after our complete investigation. We remain committed to the safety of our vehicles and their users. This is the first incident after more than 30,000 EVs
have cumulatively covered over 1 million km across the country in nearly 4 years,” said Tata Motors as a response to the incident. 

EV fires previously have been reported in the USA in cars from reputed manufacturers such as Tesla and GM.