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The Fire and Rescue Department confirmed that two electric vehicles (EVs) involved in a recent blaze in Petaling Jaya were not charging at the time
The department's director-general, Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad, shared the update to debunk speculation linking the fire to a wallbox charger.
According to The Star, Nor Hisham stated the fire broke out several hours after the charging process had ended.
The incident occurred at a residence in Damansara, where the two vehicles involved appeared to be an XPeng G6 and a BYD Seal
While the flames scorched roughly 10% of the home's interior, no residents were injured.
Firefighters from the Damansara fire station extinguished the fire using water, as confirmed on their Facebook page.
Despite charging not being the direct cause, authorities emphasised the need for safety compliance
Nor Hisham urged owners to source chargers from Energy Commission-recognised suppliers.
Installations must follow MS IEC 61851 and MS IEC 62196 regulations.
Malaysia Electric Vehicle Owners Club (MyEVOC) president Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi also advised using certified installers. He noted that loose wire connections can cause overheating over time.
To boost safety, Shahrol recommended installing smoke detectors near home chargers.
He also addressed online speculation regarding the home's power supply, noting visuals showed the premises had a three-phase system.
While EV fires frequently go viral, Nor Hisham pointed to US and European data demonstrating they are far rarer than petrol vehicle fires
Data indicates only 25 fires occurred per 100,000 EVs, a rate of 0.025%.
In contrast, petrol vehicles recorded 1,530 fires per 100,000 units, representing a 1.53% rate.
Hybrid vehicles showed the highest incidence at 3,475 fires per 100,000 units, or 3.48%.
