- The Nio EV was undergoing testing, when the incident occurred
- The company has said that the accident did not occur due to an issue with the car
- Indian EV makers are facing concerns regarding vehicle safety, particularly with batteries
An electric vehicle built by Chinese company Nio, which was undergoing testing, fell three floors in a bizarre accident on Friday, June 24th. The incident saw two individuals who were inside the car at the point of time dying on the spot despite emergency efforts to rescue them, reports on the matter have confirmed. After the event, the company has issued statements promising extensive support for the families of those who passed away in the incident – and said that an investigation would be set-up about how it occurred. However, prima facie, the accident looks like a mishap, Nio has said, and does not appear to have happened due to any issue with the vehicle itself.
Nio and other EV accidents
While the Nio incident was most likely a mishap, the reason why it has hit more global headlines that what a combustion engine car would have is due to a growing safety concern regarding electric vehicles around the world. In recent times, India has experienced a number of accidents of electric vehicles, which have raised concerns regarding the battery testing and safety standard procedures being followed by the numerous two-wheeler EV makers that have started operating in the country.
Even four-wheelers have not been immune. Earlier this week, a Nexon EV, built by Indian car maker Tata Motors, caught fire in the Vasai area in Mumbai. The owner of the vehicle had reportedly charged the car using a slow charger at his place, and after unplugging the charger, had driven the car for a very short distance when he heard clicking noises from the car, saw its alarm systems beep, and spotted fumes emerging from the car’s battery pack. The individual did not suffer any harm during the incident.
This, though, was the first incident of its kind for the Tata Nexon EV, which has generally seen decent interest among buyers and has been a considerably safe vehicle. However, the incident goes on to highlight inherent risks that electric cars may have – since even Elon Musk’s benchmark electric cars, under his brand Tesla, have been known to catch fire. Indian two-wheeler EV makers are presently undergoing scrutiny for safety standards with batteries.
However, the Nio incident was not directly linked to a fault in the battery setup, and details about it are yet to be revealed, pending an investigation.
