A new fire involving a Skywell ET5 electric SUV in Istanbul on Aug. 10 has increased the number of reported fire incidents involving the model in Türkiye to eight over the past six months.
The Skywell ET5, an electric SUV imported from China, has recorded more than 3,000 sales in the Turkish market.
Ulu Motor, the Turkish distributor of Skywell, stated that investigations into previous incidents revealed that four of the affected vehicles had sustained significant underbody damage to their main battery packs before the fires occurred. In another case, the company said bodywork, repair, and paint operations had been carried out without removing the main battery and in a location deemed unsuitable for such procedures.
The distributor also reported that five vehicles involved in fire incidents were found to be operating with software that was not considered suitable for Turkish market conditions. Regarding the most recent fire, company officials said the possibility of unauthorized software modifications is being evaluated.
Some Skywell ET5 owners, however, dispute the distributor’s explanation. They argue that customer support has been inadequate since Türkiye introduced new requirements for imported Chinese electric vehicles, which led to the suspension of new sales of the model in the country.
One owner whose vehicle was recently damaged by fire said the car had never been serviced outside the authorized network and had undergone routine maintenance before a vacation trip. According to the owner, no unauthorized software had been installed and there was no known prior damage to the vehicle.
The owner also claimed that customers had been promised regular software updates when purchasing the vehicle but that several software-related issues remained unresolved. Some users have sought alternative solutions because they believe their concerns have not been adequately addressed, the owner added.
Under current Turkish legislation, products may be recalled by manufacturers or importers, either voluntarily or at the request of a competent authority, if other measures are considered insufficient to eliminate a safety risk.
As a result, attention is now focused on whether a broader technical investigation covering all Skywell ET5 vehicles in Türkiye will be conducted and whether a formal recall process may be considered.
