(Yicai Global) Sept. 12 -- This year has witnessed many electric vehicle accidents. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has taken note and ordered NEV makers to carry out safety inspections immediately, conclude them by October, and report the results in writing.

A photo of a WM Motor Technology test vehicle spontaneously combusting circulated within the industry on Aug. 25. The incident took place in the firm's Chengdu research institute and the vehicle was a wrecked early prototype which had undergone multiple rounds of destruction tests, Shanghai-based WM Motor Technology said in an Aug. 26 statement.

The car was being dismantled, with its circuit protector and some components removed. The process was incomplete when short-circuiting electrical components sparked the fire. The event was effectively controlled from the start, with no persons injured, the Chinese electric vehicle maker stated.

Though only an already totaled car caught fire, the news is nonetheless definitely bad for the NEV maker since a mass delivery is set for the end of this month.

This self-immolation is no isolated incident, however. Many NEV fire incidents have sprung up around the world this year, involving Tesla, Zotye Automobile, Ford  Motor and other automobile brands. The main causes are charging and collisions.

The MIIT has instituted a mechanism for vehicle safety warning and major safety incident investigation. Producers must report incidents that implicate safety such as NEV combustion to responsible local  authorities and the equipment industry development center within 12 hours if no casualties result (within six hours if any injury or death arises). They must also timely investigate incidents and retain results for future reference.

The development direction of NEVs will not change during the rectification of the industry, an insider from the MIIT said, adding that the guidance on the innovation and development of new energy vehicles is still a work in progress.

Editor: Ben Armour