EV battery safety proven the hard way: An Epicland X9 battery remains intact after severe collision fire

A traffic accident involving an Epicland X9 in Taizhou, China, has drawn public attention, highlighting the safety performance of the flagship SUV. The incident, which occurred earlier today, October 28, 2026, involved a severe rear-end collision that resulted in a vehicle fire.

The Epicland X9 EREV, the first flagship six-seater SUV from the premium intelligent vehicle brand jointly developed by Dongfeng and Huawei Qiankun, was officially launched on September 24, 2026. With a limited-time promotional price ranging from 279,800 yuan (41,800 USD) to 359,800 yuan (53,700 USD), the model saw strong market demand, recording 9,157 firm orders within the first 24 hours of its release. It uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from CATL.

Incident details and official responseZeng Qinglin, General Manager of the Epicland brand, issued an official statement regarding the incident. According to the company’s investigation, the X9 was at a complete stop when it was struck from behind by a speeding, fully loaded dump truck.

“The safety of our passengers is our top priority,” Zeng stated. “All three passengers on board were unharmed. The vehicle doors functioned correctly, allowing the occupants to evacuate to a safe area in a timely manner.”

Following the collision, the rear of the vehicle began to smoke and subsequently caught fire while awaiting the arrival of traffic police. Emergency responders successfully extinguished the blaze. Notably, inspections conducted after the fire was suppressed revealed that the vehicle’s power battery remained completely intact.

Safety performanceBased on the company’s response, the fire originated from the vehicle’s internal combustion components – specifically related to the fuel system – rather than the battery pack.

The fact that the battery did not ignite or explode serves as a testament to the vehicle’s structural and thermal safety design. This performance aligns with the industry’s evolving, more stringent “No fire, no explosion” requirements effective since this July.