Skywell ET5 Fires Growing: Technical Team Arrives from China, the Bill Falls on the User
Vehicle, Fire, Users, Investigation, Skywell
Following a series of Skywell ET5 fires in Turkey over the past six months, the Chinese manufacturer has taken action and sent an official inspection team to the country. While the process continues, the high fees demanded from vehicle owners for the inspection of the burned vehicles and the shortcomings in after-sales services are drawing criticism from users.
Technical Team Arrives from China: Inspection Fee Creates Controversy
The safety debates attracting attention in the automotive world have reached a new dimension with 7 to 8 Skywell ET5 model electric cars catching fire in Turkey in the last 6 months. Following a series of fire reports, Skywell dispatched a special engineering team from China to Turkey to investigate the technical causes of the incidents.
However, a development before the investigation process began caused significant unease among vehicle owners. According to information provided by automotive journalist Taylan Özgür Dil, a notification sent by the distributor Ulu Motor to some users whose vehicles were burned stated that the inspection would be conducted for a fee due to the failure to meet periodic maintenance and warranty conditions.
It was stated that users would be charged 90,000 TL + VAT in addition to the previously paid 5,000 TL attractive fee for the technical inspection. Ulu Motor, in its statement on the matter, stated that the 90,000 TL amount in question is not a direct inspection fee, but covers the repair costs of the vehicle.
What are the Reasons Behind the Fires?
The source of the fires in Skywell ET5 models has not yet been fully clarified by official institutions. There are two different accounts of the process between the distributor and users:
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Distributor’s Statements: Ulu Motor argues that the fires did not originate from a manufacturing defect. Possible causes include external impacts to the battery underbody protection, the use of substandard battery coolant in unauthorized service centers, weakening of the neglected 12V battery, and pirated/unauthorized software installed in the vehicle to increase range.
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Users’ Claims: The affected vehicle owners claim that the vehicles were regularly taken to authorized service centers. They state that they entered the market, that there is no history of random accidents or sub-impacts, and that they did not install third-party software on their vehicles.
Complaints are Growing in After-Sales Services
Beyond fire incidents, dissatisfaction among Skywell users regarding general service processes remains on the agenda. Vehicle owners complain about delays in service appointments, very frequent maintenance intervals, and the insufficient experience of technical teams regarding high-voltage battery systems.
Safety and Inspection Process in the Electric Vehicle Market
These incidents in the Skywell ET5 model, which has reached more than 3,000 sales units in Turkey, once again highlight the value of product safety and after-sales control standards in the electric vehicle sector.
Technical teams from China
The final report to be prepared by the team is expected to be a critical data point clarifying whether the fires were caused by thermal runaway in the lithium battery pack or by external interference.
A team from China has arrived to investigate the Skywell ET5 models that have been burning one after another in Turkey; the requested price of 90,000 TL has caused controversy.
