Is Your Electric Vehicle Really Going To Catch Fire?
We’ve all seen the news. “Electric car battery catches fire.” That’s scary but is it really a risk we should worry about? How often do EVs catch fire?
The truth is EV fires occur much less often that car fires for gas-powered vehicles. Data from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board shows that there are approximately 25 fires for every 100,000 EVs sold. In comparison, there are approximately 1,530 fires for every 100,000 gas-powered vehicles sold.
According to data collected by EV FireSafe, an Australian company that monitors EV fires, there were slightly more than 500 battery-related fires in light-duty EVs globally between 2010 and the end of June 2024. With an estimated 40 million EVs operating globally as of early 2024, that’s around a 1 in 100,000 rate of fire globally.
Why Do Electric Vehicles Catch Fire?
With EVs, there's no tank of explosive fuel and, compared to a gasoline or diesel engine, electric motors don't generate that much heat. EVs can catch fire for different reasons, such as manufacturing defects, battery damage from collisions, short circuits caused by submersion in floodwaters, use of faulty chargers, or intentional acts like arson, but most causes are unknown.
A common cause of electric car fires is damage to the vehicle's battery pack — often from a serious crash. Ruptured battery cells begin to increasingly heat up through chemical reactions and a fire can quickly spread to the rest of the vehicle.
Battery cells that are improperly charged or balanced can also cause thermal runaway. Lithium-ion battery packs are very sensitive to how they are charged.
Improper charging, such as overcharging or using a non-certified charger, can lead to overheating, which increases fire risk. EVs generally have advanced battery management systems to prevent such issues, but owners must follow proper charging practices.
Lithium-Ion batteries can catch fire because of water damage or flooding. The water causes a chemical chain reaction (thermal runaway) in the battery that could cause it to burn. In recent storms and hurricanes, some electric vehicles that were in flood waters caught fire. The fire destroyed the car and started a fire in the garage causing the home to burn down.
Another fire risk is from overcharging. From 0% to 75% charge, fire intensity is stable, but at full charge, fire strength surged to 31 kW/Ah for LFP batteries and 38 kW/Ah for NMC batteries.
Danger from Electric Vehicle Fires
While EV fires are less common, they are more difficult to extinguish. Their lithium-ion batteries take a long time to cool, creating a danger of reignition. Currently, it can take around 2,500 gallons to extinguish an EV fire; a combustion engine fire can take about 500–1,100 gallons. Average fire suppression time for an electric vehicle can be up to 90 minutes or more. Comparatively, it takes about 30 minutes to put out a fire on an internal combustion engine vehicle.
During an electric vehicle fire, more than 100 chemicals are released, including heavy metals, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. EVs batteries, primarily lithium-ion, can catch fire and produce gases such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), which are not normally encountered during combustion engine fires.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found that fires in electric vehicles powered by high-voltage lithium-ion batteries pose the risk of electric shock to emergency responders from exposure to the high-voltage components of a damaged lithium-ion battery. A further risk is that damaged cells in the battery can experience uncontrolled increases in temperature and pressure (thermal runaway), which can lead to hazards such as battery reignition/fire.
A common cause of electric car fires is damage to the vehicle's battery pack — often from a serious crash. Ruptured battery cells begin to increasingly heat up through chemical reactions and a fire can quickly spread to the rest of the vehicle.
Making Safer Electric Vehicle Batteries
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Battery Safety Initiative coordinates research and other activities to address safety risks related to EV batteries. This program collects data on incidents like crashes that can impact battery safety; conducts research into battery health monitoring, cybersecurity, and reasons for battery failures; and oversees recalls and investigations related to EV battery issues.
Next-generation EVs using sodium-ion batteries are even less likely to ignite spontaneously. Long-promised solid-state power will, eventually, be even safer. Sodium-ion power has another benefit. Sodium-ion batteries can be transported with zero volts on board.
You can take actions to reduce the risk of your EV catching fire:
Put a smoke detector and alarm in your garage or carport, especially if you charge overnight.
Assess damage =, even small accidents, as batteries can catch fire days or weeks later, if damaged.
Add an EV sticker to your car so first responders know how to deal with the fire.
