On October 27, news emerged from Fujian’s Zhangzhou city regarding a GAC Aion S electric vehicle owner, Mr. Xu, who reported that his car caught fire outside a repair shop. Mr. Xu recounted that his wife purchased the Aion S Plus 580 electric vehicle on March 29, which he has primarily used for ride-hailing services. By October, the car had covered approximately 30,000 kilometers.
On the afternoon of October 5, Mr. Xu parked the vehicle outside a repair shop on Longxin Road in the Taiwan Business District of Zhangzhou. Shortly afterward, he detected a burnt smell and noticed smoke coming from his vehicle. Moments later, the center of the hood ignited, and within 20 minutes, the entire car was reduced to ashes.
The local fire department investigated the incident and concluded that the fire was caused by an electrical wiring fault in the car’s power distribution box, with severe fire damage observed on the vehicle’s front right side. Mr. Xu accepted the report and attributed the incident to a potential quality issue with the Aion EV, adding that the car had undergone routine maintenance at GAC Aion’s authorized service center. However, Mr. Xu stated that the Aion 4S dealership disputed the fire department’s findings, insisting on waiting until the insurance claim process concludes before addressing the matter. The manufacturer has yet to offer Mr. Xu any official response regarding the incident.
Mr. Xu’s Aion S Plus 580 model is equipped with a 60kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which boasts an NEDC range of 460 kilometers. While LFP batteries are typically praised for their stability and safety, this incident has raised concerns among EV owners about battery safety and quality standards. As the electric vehicle market rapidly grows, consumer attention is increasingly focused on the safety of battery technology, production quality, and after-sales service support from manufacturers.
