The Beiqi Wei Wang 407EV is a Chinese electric minivan. However, it is styled similarly to the Ford Transit Custom according to China Car Forums. It therefore appears to be a useful addition to the ‘white van’ brigade especially as ecommerce is catching on fast. But there’s only one problem. That’s because there have been three incidents of these vehicles catching fire between January to March 2019.
BAIC a Proud Stable for the Beiqi Wei Wang 407EV
The maker, BAIC Motor Electric Vehicle Co Ltd belongs to the state-owned BAIC Group established 1988. This builds Mercedes and Hyundai cars for the China market, as well as military vehicles, trucks, buses and farm equipment.
Companion Vehicle Beiqi Wei Wang 307EV
Quartz.Com thinks the BAIC subsidiary may be pushing the boundaries of battery safety by demanding longer driving ranges between recharging. Chinese National Business Day reports the most recent incident happened in Shenzen during the week starting March 11, 2019. These incidents involving the Beiqi Wei Wang 407EV may reflect government pressure to perform.
China Government Policy To Increase Battery Performance
QZ.Com explains China’s central government takes an active role in EV development because of extreme air pollution in some cities. Thus it provides incentives encouraging higher density batteries providing increased performance.
In theory, it says higher density batteries “can last longer, are cheaper, and are also lighter in weight”. However the catch is they contain energy-rich materials like lithium that can react explosively during charging. When we string these thoughts together there’s a possibility the Beiqi Wei Wang 407EV overstretched the bounds of practicality.
While a China surveillance network keeps an eye on battery development it’s not clear if this vehicle was involved. The 407EV minivan targets urban logistic services. It has a driving range of 136 miles. Some logistic companies have stopped using it, at least for now.
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Preview Image: BAIC Plus 1.3 Cargo 2016
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