BYD Seal Electric Vehicle Fire Incident Explained: Power Bank Was the Culprit
JAKARTA — A BYD Seal electric vehicle caught fire on Tuen Mun Road in Hong Kong on 3 March 2026, causing significant traffic disruption near Tsing Tin Interchange. Many observers initially suspected the vehicle’s battery caused the fire, but technical investigation by BYD service centre proved otherwise.
According to Carnewschina.com, firefighters arrived promptly and Hong Kong’s Fire Department extinguished the blaze at 14:19. The female driver safely exited the vehicle before the fire intensified.
BYD’s technical investigation concluded that the fire was not caused by mechanical or electrical faults inherent to the vehicle. Instead, the fire originated from a power bank left on the passenger seat that experienced short-circuiting or thermal runaway.
BYD issued an official statement clarifying that the vehicle’s high-voltage system did not contribute to the initial fire, despite severe damage to the cabin structure. The company attributed the limited fire spread to the high exothermic threshold of LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) chemistry, which typically exceeds 500 °C, compared with approximately 200 °C for traditional NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) batteries. The honeycomb aluminium structure of the battery served as a thermal barrier, preventing fire in the cabin exterior from penetrating the battery cell compartment.
In a related incident, a BYD Seal allegedly caught fire in Jakarta’s Palmerah district in May 2025. PT BYD Motor Indonesia immediately conducted an investigation.
“Based on preliminary findings, the short circuit originated from wiring experiencing electrical short-circuiting, likely caused by external force,” said Eagle Zhao, President Director of BYD Motor Indonesia.
The short circuit caused the low-voltage battery, commonly known as the car battery and used to start the vehicle, to experience overheating, triggering thermal runaway and producing abnormal sounds. This resulted in smoke visible from the vehicle’s lower section.
“This is the first incident involving a BYD Seal. We have not found similar cases elsewhere, either in Indonesia or internationally,” Zhao stated.
Luther Panjaitan, Head of Public and Government Relations at PT BYD Motor Indonesia, further clarified that the Jakarta incident involved smoke emission rather than a battery fire. “The low-voltage battery experienced overheating that triggered thermal runaway, producing abnormal sounds. This caused smoke and a burning smell, resulting from temperature changes in the low-voltage battery rather than an explosion,” he said.