Plug-in electric vehicle fire incidents

Frontal crash test of a Volvo C30 Drive Electric to assess the safety of the battery pack

Numerous plug-in electric vehicle (EV) fire incidents have taken place since the introduction of mass-production plug-in electric vehicles.[1] As a result of these incidents, the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study in 2017 to establish whether lithium-ion batteries in plug-electric vehicles pose an exceptional fire hazard. The research looked at whether the high-voltage batteries can cause fires when they are being charged, and when the vehicles are involved in an accident.[1]

Regarding the risk of electrochemical failure, [this] report concludes that the propensity and severity of fires and explosions from the accidental ignition of flammable electrolytic solvents used in Li-ion battery systems are anticipated to be somewhat comparable to or perhaps slightly less than those for gasoline or diesel vehicular fuels. The overall consequences for Li-ion batteries are expected to be less because of the much smaller amounts of flammable solvent released and burning in a catastrophic failure situation.[1]

The NHTSA in 2021 opened a new Battery Safety Initiative investigation into EV car fires in light of the continuing numerous fire incidents.[2][3]

They were thermal runaway incidents related to the lithium-ion batteries. The brands involved were the Zotye M300 EV, Chevrolet Volt, Fisker Karma, Dodge Ram 1500 Plug-in Hybrid, Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Outlander P-HEV.

As of February 2014, four fires after an impact have been reported associated with the batteries of plug-in electric cars. The first crash related fire was reported in China in May 2012, after a high-speed car crashed into a BYD e6 taxi in Shenzhen.[4] Two incidents occurred with the Tesla Model S in October 2013, one when a Model S caught fire after the electric car hit metal debris on a highway in Kent, Washington,[5] and another involving a loss of control and collision with a tree in Merida, Mexico.[6] A Tesla Model S being driven on a highway near Murfreesboro, Tennessee caught fire in November 2013 after it struck a tow hitch on the roadway, causing damage beneath the vehicle.[7]

A Mitsubishi Outlander fire in May 2019 appeared to be related to immersion in salt water (which is electrically conductive), probably for an hour or two.[citation needed]

General Motors, Nissan and Tesla have published a guide for firefighters, and first responders to properly handle a crashed electric-drive vehicle and safely disable its battery and other high voltage systems.[8][9]

The difference with EV car fires is the use of high voltage lithium-ion batteries which can short and break down and spontaneously combust, and also that lithium-ion fires are difficult to extinguish and produce toxic smoke.[10][11]

  1. ^ a b c Stephens, D.; Shawcross, P.; et, al. (October 2017). "Lithium-ion battery safety issues for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles" (Report No. DOT HS 812 418). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ "Electric vehicle battery safety becomes a priority for US regulators". CNET.
  3. ^ "NHTSA getting serious about vehicle battery safety risks with new initiative". 12 January 2021.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference BYDe6Fire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Christopher Jensen (2013-10-02). "Tesla Says Car Fire Started in Battery". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference TeslaMexico1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference TeslaTennessee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference VoltGuide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "First Responders Information". tesla.com. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  10. ^ "Are Electric Cars Safe? Another Chevy Bolt Caught Fire, A Tesla Model S Plaid Did Too". Forbes.
  11. ^ Faiz Siddiqui (2021-08-04). "While they were asleep, their Teslas burned in the garage. It's a risk many automakers are taking seriously". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.