Japan's First Electric Bus Fire: Cause of Isuzu Erga EV Blaze Under Investigation

On July 31, 2023, an electric bus caught fire near Minato Naka-Futo Station in Suminoe Ward, Osaka City, marking Japan’s first-ever fire incident involving an electric bus. The vehicle involved was an Isuzu Erga EV, operated by a company affiliated with Osaka Gas Group for employee commuting. The driver noticed an anomaly while driving, pulled over, and shortly afterward smoke emerged from the roof of the bus followed by flames. At the time of the incident, only the driver was on board, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the fire. The bus was equipped with a ternary lithium-ion battery supplied by LG Energy Solution of South Korea. Isuzu and LG Energy Solution entered into a battery supply partnership in 2022. Notably, LG Energy Solution’s ternary lithium batteries were previously linked to multiple fire incidents around 2021, prompting General Motors to recall approximately 143,000 Chevrolet Bolt EVs and incur about $1.9 billion in compensation costs. It is worth noting that just three days before the incident (July 28), Isuzu had announced minor upgrades to the Erga EV along with a price increase—from ¥65,781,980 to ¥66,495,000. In comparison, BYD’s K8 all-electric bus, which is rapidly gaining popularity in the Japanese market, has a pre-tax price of approximately ¥38.5 million—nearly ¥28 million less than the Erga EV. The Erga EV claims a range of 360 km (at a constant speed of 30 km/h), but several operators have reported significantly reduced real-world range under actual passenger service conditions. The Erga EV’s battery capacity is 242 kWh, compared to the BYD K8’s 314 kWh.