Chrysler Tech Center Fire Caused by Mysterious Electrical Model

The cause of the fire is still not official, but reports indicate that the cooling system in the EV model may have malfunctioned.

Last month, reports emerged that a fire had broken out at Stellantis’ North American headquarters, in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Now, more details about the incident have emerged, revealing that the fire broke out at Chrysler’s Tech Center, and involved a prototype electric car.

Details of the investigation are still shrouded in mystery. However, according to reports from the Auburn Hills Fire Department, the prototype was parked in an elevator and had to be removed from the facility using a forklift.

“The crew went to the car and found it on fire under the car and under the hood,” the report obtained by Crain’s Detroit states. Although the cause of the fire is unknown, “employees present at the time of the incident advised that the vehicle had a cooling problem.”

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Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the building was not damaged in the incident, which was ruled unintentional by the fire department. Electric vehicle battery failures remain a concern for automakers and consumers, given the power that can be generated by the cells. The same characteristic that makes them useful for running engines also makes EV fires very difficult to put out.

Stellantis is no stranger to battery cell problems. The Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid has been recalled several times for issues related to its high- and low-voltage battery systems, both of which have been linked to fire hazards.

Although it remains unclear which model Stellantis was working on at the time of the fire, like other car manufacturers, it is actively involved in developing a range of electric vehicles based on a range of new ‘STLA’ architectures.

Chrysler is in the process of developing an electric crossover, as previewed by the Airflow concept, while Ram is working on an all-electric pickup. Additionally, Dodge is focusing on an electric muscle car, as shown by the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee concept.