Fire Hazards: Are EVs More Dangerous Than ICE?
Both the electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE) cars each have their own fire hazards, sparking a long and tumultuous ongoing debate about their relative dangers. As the automotive landscape evolves over time, it is extremely crucial to examine not just the performance and efficiency of these vehicles but also on their safety aspects altogether. Therefore, the writer aims to discuss this matter to answer the big burning question on everyone's mind - whether EVs are indeed doing more harm than good to us.
How can an EV catch fire?
Electric motors in EVs produce less heat than petrol or diesel engines as there is no explosive fuel tank in them. Therefore, what causes these cars to catch fire?
The primary culprit would be the batteries themselves. This is because the components and substances that are contained in the individual cells in the battery pack of an EV are extremely sensitive. Particularly for the lithium-ion batteries that are commonly used in most modern EVs such as Tesla, Kia, and Hyundai. Batteries in EVs may burst when damaged and these cells may heat up instantly to a hit point of temperature known as "thermal runaway".
Thermal runaway in an EV is an extremely dangerous condition where the battery's temperature rapidly increases uncontrollably. It starts when a cell in the lithium-ion battery gets too hot, which can happen due to specific reasons like physical damage, overcharging, or internal short circuits. As the temperature rises, it causes a chemical reaction that generates even more heat, which can then spread to the other neighbouring cells, leading to a chain reaction. This process can cause the battery to catch fire or even explode, making it a significant safety concern for EV owners.
With the aid of modern technology and advancement, there are few methods used by EV manufacturers to ensure maximum battery performance while reducing the possibility of thermal runaway. This includes;
Air Cooling: usually used in less expensive and earlier EV models such as the Nissan Leaf. It is designed to release heat when air passes over it.
Liquid Cooling: most seen in higher-end and current modern EVs which works similarly to an ICE car’s radiator. The heat stored in these cells are distributed by circulating coolant through them via fans and a radiator like those used in Audi’s.
So, is it true that EVs catch fire easier than ICE cars?
Compared to ICE car fires which burnt 3,400 times in 4.4 million cars, or 0.08 percent of all vehicles, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) reported a mere 23 fires in 611,000 EVs in 2022, or 0.004 percent in a year. This is a clear indication showing that the incident is 20 times less likely to occur.
Additionally, in a separate report which was funded by the Australian Department of Defence, less than 500 electric car battery fires have been confirmed by EV FireSafe, out of the 20 million EVs globally. That is around 80 times less common than an ICE car fire.
Worldmetrics.org in 2024 cites that EVs in the US experience fire incidents at a rate of 2.19 fires per 10,000 registered vehicles annually. This means one out of every 4,669 registered EVs catches fire each year, contributing to roughly 2% of all vehicle fires in the country. The fatality rate resulting from EV fires is 68% lower than those involving gasoline vehicles.
Based on these data, it clearly shows that EVs have a much lower chance of catching fire and causing fatalities compared to regular gasoline cars. This means that EVs are generally safer when it comes to fire risk. With fewer fires and lower incident rates, EVs present a clear safety benefit over traditional ICE cars thus the answer to our burning question is a resounding NO.
EVs do not catch fire easily compared to ICE despite the social media raging about EVs catching fire here and there, every now and then. This is probably because consumers are still trying to accept and comprehend the new technology of EVs. Common curiosity sparks various statements about the vehicle, and most of the time these statements are somewhat unfortunately not accurately true.
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