Kathmandu-Statement issued by Cimex Inc. Pvt. Ltd. – Official distributor of BYD in Nepal, following the burning down of the BYD Atto 3 at Pathari, Morang, in the span of two weeks. Cimex claimed that its service engineers and a team from BYD Auto Industry Co. Ltd. headquarters had investigated the incident. However, there appears to be a serious mismatch between the company’s statement and the footage of the incident.

Videos of the May 7 BYD Atto 3 fire in Pathari are widely available on social media. The footage shows the vehicle from different angles, starting from the initial smoke emission to the car burning intensely until it was reduced to a skeleton and later lifted by a crane onto another vehicle. Even an ordinary viewer can clearly see that the BYD Atto 3 was burned to ashes. None of the vehicle’s parts appear intact.

More importantly, when a towing vehicle with a crane arrived to recover the car, smoke was still visibly emerging from the area where the battery pack is located. Videos also show rescue workers spraying gas extinguishers while attempting to tow the vehicle.

An attempt has been made here to examine the differences between Cimex’s claims and what appears in photos and videos of the incident. The claim that the high voltage battery remained completely safe appears entirely false.

Cimex statement:

'The battery pack remains fully protected and the Blade Battery experienced no thermal runaway or internal short circuit.'

Analysis:

White smoke (off gassing):
At the very beginning of the video, thick white smoke can be seen rapidly coming from the lower part of the car where the battery pack is located. In lithium ion or LFP batteries, this type of smoke can occur when excessive heat causes chemicals inside to vaporize. This is often considered one of the early signs associated with thermal runaway.

Popping sounds (cell explosions):
The small explosive sounds clearly heard during the fire appear consistent with individual battery cells rupturing sequentially due to internal pressure buildup.

Cimex statement:
'The fire originated solely from an external source such as decorative materials, dry leaves, or cigarette butts. The battery had no role in the incident.'

Analysis:

Videos show smoke reappearing from the battery pack area while the vehicle was being lifted by a crane four to five hours after the fire had been extinguished. If the fire had remained limited to external materials, the battery would generally be expected to become inactive after the fire was out. Smoke appearing several hours later while moving the vehicle could suggest that internal cells were damaged and stored energy release or internal short circuits were continuing.

Cimex statement:
'The 8 in 1 electric powertrain, including the VCU, BMS, MCU, motor and other components, remained intact without damage.'

Analysis:

Looking at electric vehicles burned during the Gen Z movement incidents, high temperatures have visibly destroyed copper wiring, aluminium housings and sensitive electronic sensors. The claim in this case therefore appears technically questionable. The flames seen while the Atto 3 was burning indicate a severe fire, making claims that vehicle components remained undamaged difficult to reconcile with the visible damage.

Cimex statement:
'The fire began externally due to dry leaves, cigarette butts and flammable plastic wedding decorations, spreading to the dashboard and cabin.'

Analysis:

EV battery systems are protected by strong metal housings. There are generally no highly fire sensitive components on the underbody designed to ignite on their own.

If the fire had started from external leaves or decorations, tyres, exterior bumpers or paint surfaces would typically show signs of ignition first. However, the footage appears to show pressurised smoke coming directly from underneath the car and smoke filling the cabin through the air conditioning vents, creating the impression that the fire originated internally and then spread outward.

The company’s report appears to rely more on assumptions than confirmed facts, including suggestions that a cigarette butt may have fallen or that items stored in the trunk could have intensified the fire.

Previously, Blade Battery promotions in Nepal highlighted nail penetration tests and claimed that the batteries would not catch fire. This incident appears to challenge those claims. A forensic investigation therefore appears necessary. However, given what the article characterises as misleading initial explanations from BYD and Cimex, questions remain over whether a full and transparent account will emerge.

Another point raised against Cimex’s argument that the BYD Atto 3 high voltage battery remained safe is that many EV battery fires have occurred globally. Even a Tesla Model Y has reportedly burned to ashes, with the company acknowledging battery involvement. In Nepal as well, several private EVs and EVs displayed in showrooms belonging to different brands were destroyed during last year’s Gen Z protests. In such incidents, manufacturers did not claim that the high voltage batteries remained unaffected, because severe fires generally make it difficult for batteries or other vehicle components to remain undamaged.

The burned BYD Atto 3 in Pathari did not appear to burn any less severely than EVs destroyed during the Gen Z showroom incidents. Cimex’s claim that there was no thermal runaway issue despite such a large and intense fire is described here as similar to earlier promotional claims that nail penetrated batteries do not burn, which the article argues is inaccurate.

Despite these apparent realities, Cimex Inc. Pvt. Ltd., in its statement issued two weeks after the May 7 incident in Pathari, Morang, claimed that the high voltage battery, BMS and other components of the burned BYD Atto 3 remained safe.