Mahindra Returns Full Price to XUV400 Electric SUV Owner After Fire

Generally, when Indian automakers are made aware of huge problems by customers, the companies try to avoid paying refunds. However, recently an incident of fire in a Mahindra XUV400 EV has been shared online. It has been reported by the owner of a Mahindra XUV400 that the company is going to refund the full purchase price of an XUV400 electric SUV to him. This particular incident took place in August 2024 and has alerted all the XUV400 owners across India.

This particular incident took place in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and has been shared on TeamBHP’s forum. As per the owner of the XUV400, he purchased an XUV400 EV ELPro 39.4 Kw variant back in April of this year. He added that he had done only 3,200 kms in his electric SUV.

What happened?

The owner of this particular Mahindra XUV400 EV reported that he parked his car after coming from an evening drive. He then stated that the next day he was alerted by his driver, who reported that there was intermittent smoke from the engine bay.

Taking note of this incident, he went and checked it out. He stated that upon his inspection, he found that one of the coolant tanks was spewing hot coolant, which was likely the cause of the smoke. The owner then used a fire extinguisher to control the smoke.

However, shortly after this, another module, which the dealership had previously told him is the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), also began smoking from one of its connectors.

What did the owner do?

Following this initial identification of the problem, the owner stated that he contacted the dealer. They then advised him to call the fire department for extra safety. In the meantime, the low-voltage battery terminal was disconnected by the owner as well.

As per the owner, this presumably helped in reducing the intensity of the smoke and prevented further damage. Soon after this, the fire department and Mahindra’s breakdown team arrived at his house, and the situation was brought under control. The car was subsequently towed to the dealer’s service center for inspection and repairs.

Mahindra’s Response

After having the vehicle in the dealership for a while, Mahindra finally stated to the owner that this was the first-ever XUV400 fire case reported in India. However, to help the owner, they offered him two options. The first one was that he could have a complete refund.

Meanwhile, the other option was that he could get a brand-new replacement. The owner then stated that he went for the latter offer as he felt it would not be a safe thing to do after losing trust.

During the same process, the owner mentioned that the company was taking time to assess the situation. He added that the part which failed was actually outsourced from the international market. So they were waiting for the vendor’s investigation as to why this happened.

Are EVs safe?

This incident has once again brought attention to the question of whether EVs are safe or not. Currently, the Indian government is pushing towards electrification. The government is offering incentives for EV purchases, and manufacturers are ramping up production.

However, incidents like the above-mentioned raise questions about whether stringent safety standards and thorough testing are being performed by automakers. This is especially important in the context of India’s unique climate and infrastructure challenges.

Electric vehicles, particularly those powered by lithium-ion batteries, are susceptible to thermal runaway. For those who may not know, in this phenomenon, the battery overheats and catches fire.

While advancements in battery technology have reduced these risks, they have not been entirely eliminated. As more EVs hit the roads, it will become even more important for manufacturers to make sure that their vehicles can withstand the rigors of daily use in varied conditions.