Hyundai Kona EV Catches Fire While Driving; Indonesian Authorities Suspect Battery Overheating

【Jakarta, Indonesia=Aulia Maulida Hamdani】PT Hyundai Motors Indonesia (HMID) issued an official statement after a Hyundai Kona caught fire while driving in Indonesia. The company said it is investigating the exact cause of the incident, with battery overheating among the possible factors.
According to local media on the 24th, Fransiscus Soerjopranoto, COO of HMID, said, "First, we deeply regret the distress caused to the customer affected by this incident." He added, "We are currently working with our dealer network and responding with customer safety and convenience as our top priorities." He also said, "We are conducting a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire, will continue supporting the affected customer, and will share future developments transparently."
The accident occurred around 11:20 a.m. on the 22nd in Gresik Regency, East Java. The driver, Alex, said, "About 10 minutes after a low-battery warning appeared while I was driving, an overheating warning came on, and then sparks erupted from the vehicle, leading to a fire." He added, "I tried to put out the fire with the extinguisher in the car, but I could not control the flames, so I called the fire department."
Firefighters who arrived at the scene battled the blaze for about 40 minutes and fully extinguished it around 12:15 p.m.
Local fire authorities said, "Battery system overheating is suspected as the cause, but the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation." They added, "No injuries were reported in the incident, and the extent of property damage is still being assessed."
aulia9195@fnnews.com Reporter Aulia Maulida Hamdani Reporter