The fire that occurred at Luton Airport’s car park sparked a lot of speculation online about whether an electric or hybrid car was involved. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. The chief fire officer of Bedfordshire stated that it is believed the fire started with a diesel vehicle, but this has not been verified.
Despite this, there has been an increase in reported EV (electric vehicle) fires in recent years, which has led to heightened public concern over the safety of electric and hybrid cars. People are wondering if EVs are more prone to catching fire compared to traditional petrol and diesel models. Additionally, they are curious about whether they are harder to extinguish and how emergency services have had to adapt their tactics to deal with EV fires. We will delve into the data to find the answers to these questions.
So, are electric and hybrid vehicles at a greater risk of catching fire than conventional petrol and diesel cars? Let’s understand what the statistics say.
According to EV FireSafe, a private company funded by the Australian Department of Defence to research EV battery fires, global fires recorded between 2010 and 2020 indicate a 0.0012 percent chance of passenger EVs catching fire. However, it is challenging to find a similar statistic for internal combustion engine (ICE) passenger vehicles globally. Nevertheless, a combination of country-based reports suggests that there is a 0.1 percent chance of petrol and diesel cars catching fire.
Tesla, the leading global seller of EVs with an 18.2 percent market share in 2022, claims that their cars are less likely to catch fire than ICE vehicles. In their 2020 Impact Report, Tesla stated that from 2012 to 2020, there was approximately one vehicle fire for every 205 million miles traveled. In comparison, data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and US Department of Transportation show that in the US, there is one vehicle fire for every 19 million miles traveled.
There have also been reports comparing electric and hybrid vehicles to ICE cars. AutoInsuranceEZ analyzed domestic statistics provided by the National Transport Safety Board, the Bureau of Transport Statistics, and Vehicle Recalls from 2020. They reported that hybrid fires per 100,000 sales were the most common, followed by petrol and diesel models. However, the report did not differentiate between self-charging and plug-in hybrid cars. EVs ranked third on the list, with 25 fires per 100,000 sales.
In May, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) suggested that EVs are 20 times less likely to catch fire than petrol and diesel cars based on instances recorded in the country in 2022. Sweden reported 106 fires in various electric means of transport, but only 23 fires were in EVs, accounting for 0.004 percent of the country’s EV fleet. In contrast, there were 3,400 fires reported in petrol and diesel cars, making up 0.08 percent of Sweden’s 4.4 million petrol and diesel vehicles.
Now let’s address whether EV fires are becoming more common. While multiple studies suggest that the chances of an EV catching fire are lower than those of ICE cars, there have been reports of EV fire cases in the UK doubling in the past year. CE Safety conducted a study in 2022 and found that there were 753 emergency service callouts to EV fires in the UK between 2017 and 2021. Although the number of recorded EV fires remained relatively low, there was an upsurge in 2021. London Fire Brigade’s figures increased from 32 fires in 2020 to 102 in 2021, and there have been 98 incidents recorded in the first half of this year.
It is important to note that the data covers all types of electric transport, not just cars. Out of the 753 cases recorded over the five-year period, only 210 were cars, while the report also considered e-bikes and e-scooters. A more recent freedom of information request published last month revealed that fire and rescue services attended 239 instances of fires related to EVs in the UK between July 2022 and June 2023. This is an 83 percent increase compared to the 130 incidents recorded between July 2021 and June 2022. However, these figures include electric scooters, trucks, and e-bikes, all of which are becoming more common. Therefore, it is challenging to determine whether the increase is due to unsafe technology or simply a higher number of battery-powered vehicles on the road.
One major concern when discussing fires in battery-powered technology is “thermal runaway.” This term refers to a chain reaction within a battery cell that is extremely difficult to stop once initiated by extreme heat. This reaction can be triggered by factors such as overcharging and collisions. It leads to increased battery temperature and additional reactions that intensify the fire. Thermal runaway can happen within milliseconds and reach temperatures as high as 752 degrees Fahrenheit or 400 degrees Celsius. According to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), it can also cause unpredictable fire behavior.
If an EV does catch fire, it is much harder to extinguish compared to petrol and diesel cars. This is because lithium-ion batteries used in EVs burn hot and fast. They also have the potential to reignite after the initial fire has been put out. These “dormant phases” can last for hours before they relight. The high temperatures associated with EV fires can also cause the battery to release explosive and toxic gases. Therefore, it is more challenging for emergency services to handle EV fires.
In conclusion, while statistics indicate that EVs are less likely to catch fire than petrol and diesel cars, there has been an increase in reported EV fire cases. However, it is challenging to determine the exact reasons for this increase. It is crucial to develop effective lithium-ion battery safety technology as more EVs hit the roads. The phenomenon of “thermal runaway” poses a significant risk in battery-powered technology, leading to more challenging fire scenarios. EV fires require more effort to extinguish due to the unique properties of lithium-ion batteries. Both the public and emergency services need to be aware of these risks and adapt accordingly.
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