Image: VolvoSiripong Angkasungkitti, the Deputy Minister of Transport, has launched a probe into the matter, and Volvo Cars Thailand has provided clarification on the engineering issues involved. The investigation revealed that a defect in an internal component of the traction battery pack was causing the fires.The first incident took place on the afternoon of 25 March, when an EX30 caught fire in a residential area in Bangkok, and firefighters took 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze. In the second incident, which occurred on 15 May, the EV caught fire while being charged at home.On 18 May, Volvo Cars Thailand issued a statement saying both EX30s were part of a recall campaign announced in February involving 1,668 units of the Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance configurations with battery modules that face an overheating issue. The company had advised owners of the affected vehicles to charge only up to 70 per cent until it replaced their battery modules, but the vehicles involved in the fire incidents had been charged beyond this limit.Volvo Cars Thailand said it would initiate the replacement programme on 22 May. The company requires approximately three days to replace each defective battery module and carry out the necessary inspections afterwards. According to a report published by the Bangkok Post on 20 May, more than 800 new battery modules could arrive in June.Meanwhile, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board is considering filing a lawsuit against Volvo Cars Thailand. It has received 45 complaints and wants the company to address them with refunds and interest, according to a Reuters report dated 20 May. Globally, Volvo Cars would need to replace battery modules affected by the overheating issue in more than 40,000 EX30s.In related news, an XC60 Plug-in Hybrid caught fire in Thailand on 21 May. Volvo Cars Thailand issued a statement the following day saying the fire did not appear to have originated from the area where the company installs the traction battery pack, although it has yet to conduct a detailed investigation.car250.com, reuters.com