Reports of electric vehicle fires might lead some people to fear the growing numbers of these vehicles will increase fire risk. In fact, replacing petrol and diesel vehicles is likely to reduce it.

I thought that the media was a little over the top with reporting every electric car fire.

Little did I realise just how blown out of proportion it was:

"…electric vehicle battery fires are rare. Indeed, the available data indicate the fire risk is between 20 and 80 times greater for petrol and diesel vehicles. "

  • SalvoEnglish
    12·
    1 year ago

    Lots of people think they are home mechanics and like to maintain their own vehicles. Lots of business that are Mechanical workshops are either unqualified or should not be qualified.

    This is not too big of a problem when all you have is 12V power, some diesel or some petrol. You may get a light electrical shock, some chemical burns if you have sensitive skin if you don’t know what you are doing. The most dangerous damage they will do to your car is suspension or brake failure while driving, or an underbonnet fuel/electrcial fire or an in-cab electrical fire. These fires can be put out with powdered fire extinguishers. If a Pb-Acid battery ruptures, you may get some nasty acid burns.

    When someone who doesn’t know what they are doing, fools around with an EV, Hybrid or newer ICE car with a 48V electrical system, they can do much more damage. Damaging one of those orange cables can instantly get the coroner involved. When a cell gets ruptured in certain lithium chemistry batteries, the location of the fire will be inaccessible for days or weeks because we have no fire suppression technology that can put that bugger out.

    We need to halt (or at least cut down) burning hydrocarbons for fuel, but everyone swapping their oversized ICE Sedan or SUV for an oversized EV Sedan or SUV is not the solution.