‘19 Sector E1 mishap

[Akovia]

After a 7 month battle with Hisun to replace a defective battery pack (the unit was locked up in the service dealers yard the entire time) we got the vehicle back on our farm. We put about 100 miles on it (for a total ODO 425 miles) when this happened. While parked durning a lunch break. Hisun Motors has washed its’ hands of the situation and not remotely interested as to why or how a parked and shut down vehicle could burst into flames. Great idea, the E1. Poor execution. Abominable customer (and dealer) support. I wish you all the best of luck with yours.

 

[Guest]

Blimey! I'd no idea they were so flammable. There's nothing left!

Quick question since my (UK spec) one is also of that vintage. Did you get the faulty batteries replaced, and was it with the same Discover batteries as originally fitted? My buggy lives in a shed along with a lot of expensive equipment I'd rather wasn't burned beyond recognition.

[Akovia]

Good morning, Osney. Yes, the entire battery pack was replaced a year ago. I do not know about the heritage of the batteries themselves. I suspect there was a software update as well as reverse tone and some instrument panel indicators worked differently. We, too, stored our buggy in a barn stuffed with other equipment. It is on a farm property upon which we do not reside. Our first thought was “thank goodness this didn’t happen in the middle of the night. We would have lost everything”!

[didgeridoo]

Wow!!! I am so sorry that the "mishap" happened to you. Hisun may not care to learn what caused it, but as a current Sector E1 owner, I am very curious as to why it went up in flames. From looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like there was much left to investigate.  Any clues at all?  

From the pictures you posted, it looks like you were fortunate the fire didn't involve more of the surroundings.

[EVSupport]

Really hard to work out what happened. My view would be that it was a loose connection, If it was a battery going up, it would have been caused by a gas explosion and at least one of the batteries would have made a fair noise when it went, but if it was a poor connection then heat could have built up,  to the point where the plastics melted and caught .  Hard to track it down now, but a quick check of whats left of the cables could show up where one was loose.  Such a horrible event. There have been other comments on a FB page when a faulty / inconsistent vehicle turned out to be a poor connection on a battery terminal.  Personally I would swap the horrid 10mm headed painted battery bolts for m8x 20 Stainless screws and washers with  single springs.  Worth regularly checking their tightness.

  Another alternative cause could be the 12v battery. I have found one that was totally shot. But its not apparent to the user as the DC to DC runs continuously even when the ign is turned off. In this case a duff 12v battery will simply get hot and over heat, when over heating the electrolyte boils off, when plates touch they can spark and ignite the hydrogen inside the battery. My suggestion to users is to get a multimeter go under the drivers seat, find the 12v battery and (behind the drivers legs) and check the voltage (negative is towards the centre positive towards the side panel). Note the voltage. Hit the big red button. That breaks the 48v circuit. The DC to DC will shut down. Leave it for 10 minutes. Re check the 12v battery. If its well above 12v  it should be OK , if not then your battery may need topping up , or replacing. If below 12v then its a replacement, as its way under voltage, and probably has one cell dead. 

[Akovia]

I am suspicious of the 12V battery as well. All of the terminal posts melted to the point cables simply lifted off by hand. Battery cases melted into the trays so easier to cut the trays off. The acid is now part of the soil. The flames nearly  set the fir trees on fire. A messy cleanup is underway. Sigh.

[didgeridoo]

Thanks, EVSupport- I had no idea that the DC to DC runs continuously. Am checking today. I have the US version, so no big red button, unfortunately.

Again, my condolences, Akovia. Hopefully no one was injured due to the fire, or trying to put it out. I don't envy the cleanup. Best of luck!

[Akovia]

Thanks, didgeridoo. The 12 V was not replaced when the defective propulsion pack was, so It is a suspect. The cleanup has been more than I envisioned as the insurance claim fell under homeowners so no “disposal” coverage for vehicles.. Draining fluids, separating melted rubber from melted aluminum. Two days of dirty work. Wear a respirator! Steel ready for recycling, melted stuff is in 9 grain bags for disposal. Only thing left to determine is disposal of hundreds of pounds of batteries. Just the lead plates and the tray they are welded to. Acid boiled off. A couple of dead fir trees. We are grateful that it happened outside, instead of in the barn at our remote farm. We do not live there. A barn full of other equipment not specifically insured. It’s a mess but passing. Thanks, mate.