Jaguar I-Pace Electric SUV Catches Fire In US, Fourth Incident Since 2018 Debut

In an incident of an EV fire in the US, a Jaguar I-Pace in California went up in flames while it was parked at the owner’s home. As per a report, the owner had taken the car out for a short trip to run errands and returned home, parking the car in his garage. While he stepped inside his home he was alerted to the sounds popping from the garage and he returned to a garage filled with smoke and his car on fire. The incident reportedly took place back in June this year.

As per a report by Electrek, the car owner, Gonzalo Salazar, bought the 2019 model year I-Pace in 2020 and left it to charge overnight on June 16. On the 17^th he took it out for a short drive to run some errands and returned home, parking the car in the garage. He was alerted to the sound of popping from the garage and returned to a garage filled with smoke. He managed to get the smoking car out of the garage and onto the road. Minutes later, as he placed calls to Jaguar and emergency services the vehicle was engulfed in flames with pictures of the aftermath showing little left of the vehicle.

As per the report, the owner’s insurance company reported the vehicle as a total loss though Jaguar is still in the process of investigating the matter. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

The report also states that the I-Pace uses battery pouch cells manufactured by LG Chem in its battery pack – like the Kona EV and Chevrolet Bolt. The Bolt and Kona EV both were part of a large recall in global markets over possible fire risks after defects were identified with the battery cells. This was also the fourth reported incident of the I-Pace catching fire since it rolled out in 2018 with two incidents reported in Europe and another in the US last year.

Coming to the Indian market, the I-Pace was launched in India early last year. The electric SUV is offered with a 90kWh battery pack with all-wheel drive as standard across three variants. The dual-motor set-up develops a strong 394 bhp and 696 Nm of torque with the SUV having a claimed range of up to 470km. Prices for the SUV start at Rs 1.19 crore (ex-showroom).

Source: Electrek