Image Source: WM Motor

BEIJING, April 20 (TMTPOST) — A WM Motor EX5 caught fire several minutes after charging was completed, which was the third car fire incident for the company this year, Jiemian reported.

The fire started from the chassis of the vehicle parking in a charging station in Haikou, the capital of China's southernmost province Hainan. The car had been disconnected from the charging pole before the fire started. The driver was not in the car and no one was injured, according to Jieman. There were sounds of tire explosions when the vehicle was on fire. The closest vehicle - a taxi that being charged at the time of the fire - swiftly left the charging station.

WM Motor has not commented on the matter. The charging station where the incident occurred has resumed operation.

WM Motor had a poor safety record this year. On January 21, 2022, a WM Motor EX5 on the road started to give off smoke in ten minutes after charging was compelted. No injury or death was caused by the fire. The local fire department believes that a malfauncton of electric vehicle’s battery caused the fire. WM Motor refused to recognize the incident report from the fire department. The company claimed that its cars did not have any quality issues.

Earlier in February 2022, a WM Motor’s EX electric vehicle also caught fire. The incident might start in the engine compartment and the EV battery, according to videos on social media.

WM Motor had called back some of its EVs to ensure safety. Between September and October 2020, four cases of WM Motor vehicles catching fire have been recorded by the media. The company recalled some EX5 and EX units, claiming that the battery might have safety issues because the suppliers are suspected of adding other materials into the battery.