The media are full of stories about electric cars catching fire. But research does not support that claim at all.
Electric cars have been on the road for years, but the technology remains exciting for many people. Many suffer from range anxiety, while others worry about fire hazards with EVs. But do they really catch fire that quickly?
Although you often see news stories about electric cars catching fire, this happens far less often than thought. In fact, gasoline cars catch fire much faster.
Why electric cars are less likely to catch fire than gasoline cars
A report by insurance company AutoinsuranceEX shows that electric cars are 61 times less likely to catch fire per 100,000 vehicles than gasoline cars. Hybrid vehicles have the most fire incidents, followed by gasoline and then electric vehicles.
The reason why gasoline cars catch fire more often is quite simple. Gasoline cars are filled with and run on a hugely flammable liquid. It’s also called an “internal combustion engine” for a reason. The problem arises when the internal combustion becomes external.
Nowadays, lithium is in almost every battery. (Image: Unsplash)
Most electric cars use lithium-ion batteries for their power supply. A lithium-ion battery consists of two electrodes, a separator and a cathode. During charging and discharging, lithium moves back and forth between the electrodes.
If a battery is punctured or damaged, the heat generated can damage adjacent cells, cause a chain reaction and catch fire. This is just a lot less common than in a gasoline-powered car.
EV owners feel safe
EV drivers also think their vehicles are actually quite safe. In August 2023, CleanTechnica conducted a survey of 1,097 electric car owners. The results showed that Western EV drivers are confident, independent and resilient.
They worried little about battery fires and even believed that EVs are safer than gasoline cars. On the other hand, their friends and colleagues, who completed the same survey, without EVs were less convinced of EV safety.
Time for a recharge (Image: Unsplash)
For those concerned about the safety of electric cars, it is good to know that EVs are checked for technical suitability every two years. The condition of the battery is also examined. As a result, most unsafe situations are detected quickly.
Moreover, the battery packs of electric cars are well shielded and they meet strict testing standards within the EU for extreme temperatures, short circuits, humidity, fire, collisions and waterproofness, among other things. So they really can take a beating.
