Kathmandu-On May 7, an incident in Pathari, Morang, where a BYD Atto 3 electric vehicle that had been parked caught fire after its high voltage battery ignited and was completely reduced to ashes, has created serious concern and fear among Nepal's automobile market and particularly among electric vehicle consumers.

The vehicle, which was being used for a wedding event and had been safely parked under shelter, suddenly emitted thick smoke from the lower rear section.

Within a short time, the entire car, including the high voltage battery, was completely destroyed by fire. This is not an ordinary matter.

BYD's official distributor in Nepal, Cimex Inc Pvt Ltd, had previously staged what many described as a ‘nail penetration test’ in Nepal itself and heavily promoted its Blade Battery as one that would never catch fire and as the safest battery in the world.

Conducted without any certified laboratory or technical team, that promotional exercise was seen as misleading consumers. The Morang incident has cast doubt on those claims.

Even after two weeks since the battery burned and the car was reduced to ashes, neither the official distributor, Cimex Inc, nor the manufacturer, BYD Auto Industry, has issued any statement or shown responsibility by providing even basic information or clarification to Nepali consumers.

Fortunately, because the fire occurred while the vehicle was parked, there was no human casualty this time. However, if this had happened while the vehicle was in motion or while passengers were inside, who would have taken responsibility? On such a sensitive and serious issue involving consumer safety and lives, the silence of both the manufacturer and distributor raises serious questions about their intentions and responsibility.

In contrast to this silence, the company displayed a very different response after another new BYD model, the Atto 2, was involved in a severe accident in Simara, Bara, on May 16.

After videos claiming that the vehicle had exploded due to battery failure went viral on social media, Cimex Inc rushed to issue a clarification within less than 24 hours.

According to various media reports, the company, citing a police report, claimed that the incident was not caused by battery failure or battery explosion. Instead, it stated that it was purely a road accident that occurred when the driver lost control while trying to avoid hitting a pedestrian.

A company that rushes to provide clarification the very next day due to fear that its market reputation could suffer and sales could decline, but remains silent when a battery spontaneously catches fire and damages public trust in EV technology, raises questions about whether consumer safety and transparent business ethics matter less than simply selling vehicles.

The company's negligence and allegedly unlawful actions do not stop there. The BYD Atto 2 involved in the Simara accident reportedly did not even have a number plate.

Under Nepal's legal provisions, driving a vehicle on public roads at high speed with only ‘On Test’ written on it and without a number plate is clearly unlawful. If that vehicle without a registration plate had hit a pedestrian or another vehicle and caused major casualties, who would have borne the legal responsibility? This also exposes serious weaknesses and poor oversight on the part of the local police administration.

Section 160 of Nepal's Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act, 1993 (2049 BS), states that operating or allowing a vehicle to be operated without displaying the actual registration number or plate as mentioned in the registration certificate, or operating it without a number plate, is a punishable offence.

Subsection 1 of the same section clearly states that any person committing or permitting such unlawful activity may be punished by the competent authority with imprisonment of up to six months or a fine ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000, and the vehicle itself may also be confiscated.