Rare heavy rains and flooding in Henan province in central China have put the safety of electric vehicles in floods in the spotlight.
As of July 25, Henan's insurance industry had received 210,800 reports of auto insurance, with estimated losses of RMB 6.25 billion ($967 million), according to data released by the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.
On the question of whether electric cars are more dangerous than fuel cars when submerged in water, an Nio employee said in an interview with local media outlet The Economic Observer that "you can't simply compare the two".
A picture provided by the employee shows that "Nio's powertrain has an IP67 waterproof rating and the battery is a completely enclosed structure that does not allow water to enter even if it is placed underwater at a depth of one meter."
This is Nio's technology in terms of water resistance, the report said, citing an insider at the company.
The insider said the company will do inspections of all vehicles damaged in the flood in Henan and then give a repair strategy, "Even the most serious scrapping can possibly be solved by replacing the battery."
Since work on vehicle claims has just begun, no estimated time can be given for when this work will be completed, the Nio insider said.
"For fuel cars, if water gets into the engine, it can cause very significant damage. But the powertrain of an electric car is strictly sealed, so it may theoretically suffer less damage than a fuel car when driving in water," said Lang Xuehong, deputy secretary-general of the China Automobile Dealers Association.
But some experts hold a different view. "Compared with fuel cars, electric cars are definitely riskier when soaked in water. Because although the vehicle waterproof is IP67 level, if the waterproof cannot reach the national standard, there are definitely hidden dangers," the report quoted Zhongguancun New Battery Technology Innovation Alliance Secretary-General Yu Qingjiao as saying.
Once the battery is in the water it will lead to a short circuit, while fuel cars do not have this problem, he said.
Flood-hit Zhengzhou encourages damaged car owners to buy NEVs with subsidies
