The voices advocating clean air and increased focus on green energy are becoming louder among most global markets. While governments across most countries, including India, are actively pushing for electric vehicle adoption with friendly schemes and incentives, there continues to be a certain hesitancy among car buyers.
One of the primary reasons for this hesitancy revolves around the safety aspect of electric vehicles. In particular, the question that comes up all the time is this – Are Electric vehicles more likely to Catch Fire than Petrol Vehicles and Diesel Vehicles?
In the last few years, several cases have been reported of electric vehicle fires. Some of the cases reported were of a high-profile or big brand (Telsa, Hyundai, and Chevy) electric vehicle names which led to large-scale recalls.
So if car buyers are weary, it is not without reason. Customers are bound to worry about whether electric car technology is safe and whether electric vehicles are more likely to catch fire when compared to cars that run on petrol or diesel.
If you are considering buying an electric vehicle and have questions about fire safety, then this article is for you.
So what are the chances of your EV vehicle catching fire compared to vehicles that run on petrol or diesel?
Car crashes can cause fires. However, did you know that the leading reason for vehicles catching fire are mechanical failures or electrical malfunctions?
Petrol and diesel vehicles run on internal combustion engines. However, electric vehicles are also designed with electrical systems and batteries. This means both gas-run vehicles and electric vehicles are vulnerable to fire damage. However, it is important to make a distinction here. Fire damage among cars that run on petrol and diesel, is mainly caused due to fuel leaks, electrical shorts, and or braking system malfunction or failures.
In the case of electric vehicles, the primary cause of fire damage is battery issues.
AutoinsuranceEZ.com conducted a recent study to find answers on which type of vehicle is more likely to catch fire. The study collected and analyzed data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and Recalls.gov.
This is what the data on car fire statistics as well as data on sales threw up.
- For every 100K sales of gas vehicles, 1,529 fires were reported.
- For every 100K sales of hybrid vehicles, 3,474 fires were reported.
- For every 100K sales of electric vehicles, 25 fires were reported.
As the data suggests, fires for electric vehicles are the lowest. On the other hand, the number of fires reported for hybrid vehicles is the highest. So does this mean that electric vehicles are the safest option?
The best way to answer this question is by understanding the nature of fires among electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles as you probably are aware, run on lithium-ion batteries. And batteries catch fire for two primary reasons – either due to overcharging or overheating or high temperatures. While batter fires are substantially much lower, once an electric vehicle catches fire, it can burn for much longer periods, and putting them out can be more challenging.
Another challenge here is that since electric vehicles are still relatively new, fire departments might not be completely familiar or equipped to deal with fire damage caused by batteries.
It is for this reason that compared to petrol and diesel vehicles, electric vehicle battery fires can burn with more intensity and for a longer duration. Furthermore, even if the electric vehicle fire appears to have been extinguished, there is a risk that the fire can reignite after a few hours since batteries serve as providers of continued energy.
Having said this, let’s not forget that vehicles which run on petrol or diesel are more vulnerable to fire damage since both fuel types are combustible. This is probably one of the reasons for the higher percentage of fire reported per 100K sales of each of the three types of vehicles analyzed in the above study.
Precautions against Electric Vehicle Fires
Here are a few safety precautions you can take to prevent electric vehicle fires. Consider the following:
- Watch out for your electric vehicle battery failing to hold a charge.
- Keep an eye out for your electric vehicle draining faster than usual.
- Try to charge your electric vehicle in a cool, ventilated place to avoid the risk of a spontaneous combustion caused by overheating of the battery.
- If your electric vehicle catches fire, make sure you move away from the burning vehicle to a safe distance as soon as possible.
- Do not attempt to put out the fire by yourself.
- Do not approach your vehicle unless the fire department has completely extinguished the fire.
In Conclusion
Electric vehicles are the way forward if we want cleaner and greener earth. However, electric vehicle technology is still new. There still exists a massive space for improvement. There is also the issue of electric vehicle fires that should be addressed before electric vehicles can be labeled as 100% safe.
When it comes to vehicle fires, even petrol and diesel vehicles are also 100% safe either.
The best way forward is to understand how your electric vehicle runs and take the necessary precautions to prevent fire damage or threat – as is the case with any petrol and diesel vehicle.
