Electric vehicles bursting into flames make shocking headlines. However rare the occurrence though, recent incidents have brought concerns over lithium-ion battery safety risks to the mainstream.
As an EV owner, should you be worried about your prized purchase randomly exploding? How often do these fires actually happen – and what is being done to prevent them in the future?
Why Any Vehicle Fire Draws Attention
Seeing acreages of metal and plastic burn uncontrollably invokes visceral reactions in us. But in the US alone, over 212,500 vehicle fires are reported yearly – with gas-powered models making up the vast majority. Cars running on good old fossil fuels catch fire far more often statistically.
But two factors make EV fires garner outsized attention so far:
1. Novelty Bias: As a disruptive new technology, issues with EVs receive more prominence. Teething troubles during adoption phases draw interest.
2. Symbolic Value: EVs represent a progressive shift towards sustainability and innovation. Setbacks provoke skepticism over the entire renewable energy movement.
Let‘s examine why EV battery chemistry carries innate fire risks in rare cases. But also, how manufacturers are getting better at minimizing such dangers with experience…
Lithium Ion Cells: Susceptible to Thermal Runaway
Lithium-ion batteries provide unmatched efficiencies for powering electric drivetrains. But battery researchers have always been cognizant of their Achilles Heel – a tendency to overheat and catch fire under high stress circumstances.
Why does this thermal runaway occur exactly? Let‘s quickly understand LI battery components and failure modes.
- Cathode and anode sheets carry lithium ions across electrolytic fluid
- Separators prevent short circuiting while allowing ion transfer
- Reactions produce heat during charging/discharging cycles
Now here are two ways these batteries can fail and ignite:
Internal Short Circuits
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Contamination or poor manufacturing quality control can lead to lithium dendrites forming across the separator. This creates a hot spot making temperatures spike over 150°C rather quickly.
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The heat then causes more dendrite formation – rapidly catalyzing thermal runaway.
External Heat/Damage
- Mechanical damage from an accident can breach the battery compartment barriers.
- This allows oxygen/moisture to contact the cathode/anode – triggering heat-releasing reactions.
- Again this cascades into thermal runaway.
These failure modes are well-documented. But human error exacerbates risks during the production process…
Manufacturing Defects Lower Guardrails
You‘ve probably heard news of Teslas spontaneously combusting while parked. Or Hyundais catching fire amidst driving. Often a battery defect is suspected rather than user oversight.
The pressure to deliver EVs at scale has unfortunately led some makers to rush manufacturing:
| Percentage of EV fires traced to: | |
|---|---|
| Battery defects | 68% |
| External damage | 15% |
| Charging faults | 10% |
| Wiring shorts | 7% |
Clearly manufacturing issues dominate. Some ways substandard quality checks during production contribute to early battery failure:
✘ Using lower purity cathode materials
✘ Allowing microscopic debris during cell assembly
✘ Inadequate testing rigors before module integration
Lower part tolerances increase odds of internal shorts down the line. And companies focused exclusively chasing higher volumes tend to overlook such precautions.
Real-World EV Fire Examples and Fallout
Beyond the abstract causes above, actual incidents where EVs met a fiery ending help crystallize the impacts:
Tesla horrors in Shanghai and Sacramento: In April 2022, video emerged of a Tesla Model S erupting into flames while parked in a Shanghai garage. Just miles away from Tesla‘s Gigafactory too! Smoke from multiple Teslas was also spotted in November 2022 at a Sacramento parking facility.
Hyundai Kona class-action: 200 plaintiffs banded together to sue Hyundai in 2020 after a spate of Kona EVs caught fire spontaneously. The lawsuit alleges manufacturing issues with LG Chem batteries used in their cars.
GM‘s expansive Bolt recall: On the back of at least 10 Chevy Bolt EVs catching fire while charging, General Motors has incurred over $2 billion in recall expenses to replace battery packs in 140,000 vehicles.
The financial impacts of such incidents are severe. But beyond monetary considerations, these quality scandals shake consumer trust.
Many become apprehensive seeing such incidents generate massive publicity despite their rarity. And shares of affected automakers also take a hit – Tesla stock dropped over 5% in the week following news of its Shanghai garage blaze.
Measures to Improve Battery Safety
Seeing the pratfalls early movers face, the EV industry is course-correcting across the board to prevent thermal runaway situations:
1. Tougher quality controls
Makers like Toyota with ultrasafe manufacturing norms are doubling down inspection regimes for their EV lines. From improved contaminant detection sensitivity to mandating redundancy in joins, rigorous protocols minimize room for human error.
2. New cooling methods
Liquid cooling enclosures and optimized heat ventilation prevents cell operating temperatures from ever nearing limit thresholds even under peak load.
3. Safer materials
Using alternate cathode compounds, solid polymer electrolytes, and new separators reduces flammability while improving resilience.
4. Integrated diagnostics
Sensors to monitor temperature fluctuations, voltage patterns and moisture ingress can predict problems before they morph into thermal events.
With infrastructural pillars like charging networks and safety regulations also evolving quickly, teething issues shall reduce over time. But owners too need basic awareness to prevent mishaps…
How to Minimize Fire Risks with Your EV
Here are 5 ways you can be proactive and safeguard your electric ride:
🔋 Use OEM-approved charging equipment: Third party chargers without sufficient overload protections can overheat batteries during charging.
🔋 Avoid leaving cars charging unattended: Be present to notice any odd smells or noises and disconnect immediately. Leaving plugged-in EVs in garages overnight is risky.
🔍 Inspect regularly for leaks/damage: Especially after accidents – if you spot battery fluid leaks or the underbody looks compromised get it checked immediately.
🚨 Learn manual disconnect procedures: First responders need to isolate the high voltage system during fires – owners should also know the basics.
🧯 Have a contingency plan: Study your EV‘s emergency response guides. Prepare an onboard first-aid kit with blankets, gloves, masks etc to counter smoke inhalation or acid burns.
While you take appropriate precautions, statistics should reassure you too…
EV vs Gas Car Fire Risk Statistics
How do real-world cases of EV fires compare statistically? Are failure rates dropping as technology matures? Let‘s crunch the numbers:
| Vehicle Type | Fires per billion miles |
|---|---|
| Gas cars | 1,530 |
| Hybrid EVs | 25 |
| Electric EVs | 4 |
Clearly pure electric models are 500 times less fire-prone based on vehicle mileage. And the rates are improving annually with better engineering. So individual owners need not panic.
In fact multiple studies reveal you are statistically more likely to experience a home kitchen fire, mailbox vandalism or lightning strike disaster compared to an EV thermal runaway!
Bottom Line
There are genuine risks to sustained adoption from factors like reputation impact and litigation expenses due to random EV fires. And owners do need awareness.
But statistically, an individual driver is highly unlikely to experience catastrophic failures given how infrequent such incidents are.
With world-class manufacturers incentivized to improve product quality continually, you as an owner can embrace electrification confidently knowing the pros far outweigh such stray risks!
So continue enjoying the perks of whisper quiet cabins, exhilarating instant torque and lowered environmental footprint without lingering anxiety related to safety. EVs are here to stay – and rapidly shedding such teething troubles.
