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A Chinese electric vehicle startup plans to recall over 11,400 units of its flagship model, accounting for nearly half of all vehicles delivered, due to issues with coolant corrosion protection. The recall follows a recent incident in Shanghai where one of its multi-purpose vehicles was reduced to its frame after catching fire on the road.
Starting November 7, the company will initiate the recall of 11,411 vehicles manufactured between February 18 and December 27 of the previous year, according to a government regulatory agency.
On October 23, a Li Mega vehicle suddenly burst into flames beneath its chassis while moving slowly through an intersection in Shanghai, with flames engulfing the entire vehicle within ten seconds. The issue stems from the aluminum cooling plates in the power battery pack and front motor controller, which may suffer corrosion and leaks due to inadequate corrosion protection in the coolant. This condition could cause a short circuit in the battery, leading to potential fires.
The company responded to safety concerns about the occupants’ limited escape time—only ten seconds—by noting that its cloud-based warning system had issued an alert approximately four hours before the incident. Owners were contacted, but since non-collision fires were unprecedented, the company was unable to take immediate emergency actions, resulting in missed opportunities for early intervention.
The upcoming 2024 model of the Li Mega, launched on March 1 of last year with a starting price of about $78,650, marks the company’s first fully electric MPV. It features a Qilin battery, developed collaboratively with a major battery manufacturer, which uses ternary lithium cells produced by the battery company.
Shares of this EV manufacturer increased by 1.1% to HKD 80.60 (roughly USD 10.37) as of mid-morning trading in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, the stock experienced a significant drop of 8.3% between October 23 and October 31, reaching a low of HKD 79.75, its lowest point in over a year.
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