After a video surfaced earlier this week showing a Tata Nexon EV catching fire in Pune, Tata Motors released an official statement based on an investigation it has conducted into the incident. Tata Motors claimed that a repair job was undertaken on the said Nexon EV at an unauthorised workshop which led to a short circuit.
- All occupants of the affected Nexon EV were reported safe
- Nexon EV's left headlamp replaced at an unauthorised workshop: Tata Motors
- This is not the first instance of a Nexon EV catching fire in India
Tata Motor’s response to Nexon EV fire
The incident took place on April 16, 2023, and all occupants were reported safe. The video showed a Tata Nexon EV stranded in the middle of a street with considerable damage to its front left quarter, while firefighters can be seen dousing the fire with water.
The company claimed that a headlamp repair was carried out on the said Nexon EV at an unauthorised workshop, which was done improperly, and that led to a short circuit.
In its statement, Tata Motors said: “We understand that this vehicle recently underwent repairs, wherein the left headlamps were replaced at an unauthorised workshop. Over an extended period, this led to a short and trapped heat. The fitment and repair process, at the unauthorised workshop, had shortcomings, which caused an electrical malfunction in the headlamp area leading to the thermal incident. The affected area is concentrated only in the zone of repairs carried out. We remain engaged with the customer to offer all the support needed."
The carmaker also urged its customers to get their vehicles serviced or repaired only at authorised Tata Motors workshops to avoid such mishaps.
Not the first instance of EV fire
This, however, is not the first reported case of a Nexon EV catching fire. In June last year, there was yet another incident of a Tata Nexon EV catching fire in Vasai, Maharashtra. After the incident went viral on the internet, Tata Motors had said it was conducting an investigation into the matter, and the central government too had launched its own probe. You can read more about it here.
There have already been several such fire accidents with electric two-wheelers, raising safety concerns. It, however, is not very common with electric four-wheelers, this being only the second reported instance of a mainstream EV catching fire in India.
For an in-depth understanding of EV fires, click here.
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Viraaj Bhatnagar
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