Yesterday, Chery Auto Malaysia performed a safety test on the Chery Super Hybrid (CSH) battery used in the Tiggo 7 PHEV and Tiggo 8 PHEV. The company subjected the 18.3 kWh LFP pack to a massive fire, with temperatures reaching over 1,000 degrees Celsius, but the battery remained largely unscathed.
At the event, the company lit up 36 litres of petrol (no Budi95 quota was used, we checked), then lowered the said battery over the fire, leaving it there for 80 seconds. As you’d expect, the casing was singed, but the pack itself was intact without any electrical failure or uncontrolled deformation and, crucially, there was no thermal runaway, so the fire remained controlled.
In fact, a company spokesperson said that having subjected another battery to the same test for a dry run, it opened the casing to discover that the cells themselves had not been touched by the flames.
Chery claims the battery features a heat-resistant construction that, even in the event of ignition, prevents fires from propagating, and it can withstand temperatures up to 95 degrees Celsius. It also has a built-in, high-strength crossmember to protect it in an accident.
The hybrid system routinely checks the battery for instances of thermal runaway and, if one is detected, a pyrotechnic safety switch (PSS) will disconnect the battery within two milliseconds. This is meant to slow down any fire that occurs, giving occupants more time to escape.
“Safety is at the core of our development process. Beyond meeting regulatory requirements, we conduct rigorous and extreme validation tests, and we demonstrate these tests publicly to help people understand the technology, the standards behind it, and why we are confident in its safety,” said Chery Corporate Malaysia executive vice president Men Lin Bo.
Chery has performed several durability and safety tests on the CSH battery, including subjecting a Tiggo 9 PHEV to a head-on collision and a rollover in China. It then submerged the battery in seawater for over 53 hours in Jakarta; that battery was then reinstalled into a Tiggo 8 PHEV and the car managed to drive on without issue.
The company also performed an impact test in Mexico, with a Tiggo 7 PHEV surviving an underbody scrape with a low bollard. Other tests include an offset frontal crash in South Africa and even gunshots from multiple angles using a rifle in Ecuador.
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anti-ev (Tsaina made ev) lobbyists said it’s A.I. video impossible no fire kaboom.
funny how only china brands dare to do these type of public tests. didnt see western or jap cars do it.
should do the same test on a petrol car , set it on fire and see if it burns
This is just advertisement gimmick. They tested the battery by bathing it in/on a 1000 degrees Celsius fire for 80 seconds. Then later says “it can withstand temperatures up to 95 degrees Celsius”.
It basically means it has decent thermal insulation from outside, so not easy for ppl to lit up your car by just a throwing petrol bomb under your car. BUT, when thermal runaway happened like in most EV car fire, in which the cells self ignite (source of heat is inside the battery pack), it still burns like other LFP Li-ion battery.
This feels more like a staged demo than a real-world test. A meaningful benchmark would be whether a fully charged battery can withstand prolonged heat exposure and still function safely afterward—not just survive a brief, controlled burn. Presenting it otherwise is misleading.
The 1000°C fire test isn’t about “it won’t burn”, it’s about how well the pack resists external heat and delays thermal propagation. That’s actually important in real accidents because it buys time and reduces the chance of the whole pack going up immediately.
The “95°C” number is just a normal operating/safety limit, not a fire survival claim. Comparing that to a flame test doesn’t make sense.
Also, saying it “burns like other LFP batteries” isn’t quite right. Lithium Iron Phosphate is specifically more thermally stable than other lithium-ion types, higher runaway threshold, less oxygen release, and slower spread. Thermal runaway can still happen, but it’s generally less violent and easier to contain.
So yeah, internal failure is still a risk in any EV, but reducing everything to “just insulation gimmick” is oversimplifying what the test is actually showing.
Did anyone measure the voltage of the entire slab before this stunt take place? A Cat IV meter should be able to measure this directly and safely. Or all media just roll on the camera?
Wonder in what kind of situation will your car encounter fire like this one? In Malaysia, however, the greater concern is water exposure due to our country’s climate and frequent flooding. A more relevant durability test would therefore involve submerging an EV in water for a period of time and then conducting long-term performance assessments. Such an approach would better reflect the conditions that matter most to Malaysian consumers.
they already did that test
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Chery successfully tested its Tiggo 8 CSH battery in Indonesia (simulating tropical conditions similar to Malaysia) by submerging it in 1-meter-deep saltwater for over 53 hours. The test resulted in zero leakage, zero short circuits, and successful post-immersion operation, validating its IP68 certification for high corrosion resistance and safety in flooded environments
this is a PHEV battery. so theres a petrol tank and other ICE car components in there. those can catch fire. so this simulates what happens in a PHEV when the petrol tank catches fire.
The test is not real world situation , ppl don’t drive the car into fire . Real test should be drive the car over a long nail that will puncture the battery ( to simulate high speed debri that will puncture the battery while on the move .
Can test at the traditional brand hybrids like Toyota or Mercedes Benz?
This could be the new Malaysia standard to prevent Substandard product come in.
And ?? how about all the other electrical gremlins?
electric problems, you must be thinking of conti cars.
Dashcam? Powerbank? Improvised sun rays magnifier ie. plastic water bottle,
spectacles?
Rear axle patah anyway
If it happens to customer cars, they will LOD you or not?
did they try the dynamite instead?
Good one Cherry.
1. Can external heat cause EV battery to catch fire and causing thermal run-away – NO
2. ?
More test is better.
Low class wayang can la convince some nuts burn their hard earned cash buy one I can tell by the low IQ comments
Not that useful.
Main cause of battery fires is mechanical damage due to the crash, not the fire.