Why EV cars catch fire?

Sometimes you might have heard the news of an electric vehicle (EV) catching fire. Though this type of incident happens rarely, it catches everyone’s attention. So why does it happen? Why do EVs catch fire? What are the main reasons? Are EVs still catching fire? Check out the facts and know the real reasons why EV cars catch fire.

Few Years Back

When EVs were first introduced to the mass market in the early 2010s, there were some reported incidents of them catching fire. Now after 1 decade, you can also hear about similar fire incidents related to EV cars in the news these days. So why it is happening? Are we doing something wrong? Well,  Upon investigation by manufacturers and safety regulators, it was found that the fires in EV cars were caused by a combination of factors:

• Poor battery cell quality: Some early EV batteries used lower quality cells that were more prone to thermal runaway events that can lead to fire. Same thing happen these days when manufacturer do a lot of cost cut to make an affordable car, and to do so they all provide low quality battery pack.
• Battery damage in accidents: The batteries in early EVs were not as well protected in the event of collisions. Damage to battery cells and electrical systems could cause shorts and fires. So in some cases it was found that misplacement of the battery caused the fire.
• Lack of proper battery cooling: Some car manufacturers do not provide the sufficient systems to keep the large battery packs cool, especially during fast charging or hot weather. Heat buildup increases fire risks.
• Water intrusion into battery pack: Poor design can cause water to enter the battery pack, shorting the electrical circuit and causing fire. And when this happens, a chain reaction starts and every battery starts burning and that is why most of the EV cars catch fire in rainy or coastal areas.
• Software glitches: Software plays important role in EV cars as it controls the charging and alert to customer. But when it fails (customer forgot to upgrade it), it could lead to overcharging or overheating. So here, a mismanagement happens and software don’t know when to stop taking more current for charging batteries.
• Driver abuse: In some cases it is investigated that, drivers push the EV cars beyond their design limits, overheating systems like ev car modification from third party shops, driver doesn’t take the break, try to drive car in flood area, or try to charge EV cars using a fast charger of 120 KW which is not recommended by some manufactures as all these could cause fire.

So overall if you will check all these factors you will find out that it is all happening due to batteries which a manufacturer of EV car place on the floor or under car seats. And here when an external action disturbs the alignment of battery (either by accident or collision), it leads to fire.

Current Status

But the good thing is that, all these problems have been solved by each and every EV car manufacturer in India. Now the manufacturers have secured the battery pack inside a solid metal frame and made it waterproof.  This way, small and medium level hits won’t harm the battery compartment and in case of water splash + low to mid range rain nothing will happen to car batteries. Your EV car will work fine without any issue.

In addition to that, the new model of EV cars are lase with advanced batteries. In the new models, proper ventilation has been provided, and coolant is also added. This arrangement keeps the car batteries, internal circuits, and electric motors cool even if you drive the vehicle for long distances without taking a break.

As a result of these engineering improvements, EV car fire incidents are extremely rare today. Independent testing has shown that EVs now have no greater fire risk than gasoline cars, and may be statistically less prone to catching fire when involved in accidents. So rest assured that modern electric cars are very safe thanks to advanced battery technology and safety engineering.