Want to Charge an Electric Car at Home? Don't Do It Carelessly.

KatadataOTO – A case of an electric car catching fire while charging at home recently occurred in the Penjaringan area, North Jakarta. The incident caused five people to lose their lives.

Many things can trigger an electric car to catch fire while the charging process is ongoing. One of them is the use of an improper charger or charging device.

Although the battery is often believed to be the cause of electric car fires, there are various external factors that deserve attention.

“The fire case in Penjaringan, from my observation, was a fire triggered by a short circuit in the charging equipment. So it wasn't from the car itself,” said Mahaendra Gofar, Founder of EVSafe Indonesia to KatadataOTO recently.

Photo: Tiktok @officiallambeturah2

Of course, the process of charging an electric car is different from using household electronic appliances like irons, rice cookers, and the like.

Mahaendra emphasized that an electric car charged with a home charger of about 7 kW requires a large electric current for hours. 

Therefore, the charger must be equipped with a Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) as an automatic switch to cut off the electricity flow when it exceeds a safe limit.

Looking at the electric car fire case in Penjaringan, there is a possibility that the MCB used did not match the car charger's capacity, thus causing excessive heat and triggering a fire.

In fact, the MCB should play a role in protecting the charging procedure. However, it becomes dangerous if it does not comply with the regulations.

Another thing that came into the spotlight. The electric car in Penjaringan was parked in an area surrounded by flammable materials such as thinner, paint, and plastic.

As a result, even a small spark could gradually grow larger and become difficult to control.

“The combination of a non-ideal electrical installation and a hazardous environment is what most likely caused this tragedy,” wrote EVSafe Indonesia in its analysis.

Electric Car Owners Need to Be Careful

EVSafe Indonesia emphasizes that electric car charging equipment must be installed by a competent technician with a safety system that meets standards.

Photo: JD Power

Then, the charging area, such as the car owner's garage, must be paid attention to. Do not let it be mixed with flammable materials or objects.

As the use of electric cars becomes more popular, education regarding safety deserves the attention of all parties.

It is hoped that in the future, fatal incidents like the one in Penjaringan can be well anticipated.