HOW MUCH OF A FIRE RISK ARE EVs?
Autocar UK|February 09, 2022
All cars can catch fire but a real problem with EVs is that a lithium ion battery blaze is almost impossible to put out. John Evans looks at why that is, how fire services are handling it and what can be done to minimise risks
John Evans
HOW MUCH OF A FIRE RISK ARE EVs?

As more electric cars take to UK roads, attention is turning to their safety, in particular fire safety. No matter that petrol and diesel cars can catch fire and many of them do (remember the spate of Vauxhall Zafira fires not so long ago?), an electric vehicle fire (there were 54 in London in 2019) commands a lot more attention. A few reasons: the technology is new, so newsworthy; EV fires are complex and often heralded by a highly toxic vapour cloud accompanied by a hissing noise and highly directional jets, followed, possibly, by an explosion; they can occur spontaneously; and putting out an EV fire is virtually impossible. You think it’s out and then it erupts again hours, days or even weeks later.

All this considered, it’s no wonder people are becoming concerned about electric car fires, not least those who have to put them out. Thankfully, fire services are developing strategies to deal with them. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, for example, has announced that in the aftermath of any incident, road traffic collision or fire involving an EV, “one of our attending fire engines will follow the recovery vehicle back to the unloading point at their yard to assist with any fires”. It also said it has developed a system that enables fire crews to identify what model of EV is involved in an incident and where its battery and isolation switches are.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 09, 2022 من Autocar UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 09, 2022 من Autocar UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من AUTOCAR UK مشاهدة الكل
DEALER FINANCE UNDER FIRE
Autocar UK

DEALER FINANCE UNDER FIRE

Hidden commission faces axe as courts clamp down on secret’ revenue

time-read
3 mins  |
November 13, 2024
NEW CAUTION FOR SUZUKI AND ITS ELECTRIC FUTURE
Autocar UK

NEW CAUTION FOR SUZUKI AND ITS ELECTRIC FUTURE

Company president voices concern in wake of EV sales slowdown, casting doubt over upcoming launches

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
NEXT-GEN CLA IN RECORDBREAKING 24-HOUR EV RUN
Autocar UK

NEXT-GEN CLA IN RECORDBREAKING 24-HOUR EV RUN

Merc saloon racks up 2309.6 miles at an estimated 5.2 miles per kWh

time-read
3 mins  |
November 13, 2024
BENTLEY BLITZ TO START WITH URBAN EV CROSSOVER
Autocar UK

BENTLEY BLITZ TO START WITH URBAN EV CROSSOVER

Run of 10 new models in 10 years will begin with a bold EV in 2026

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
The venomous nature of the Cobra
Autocar UK

The venomous nature of the Cobra

Last week, Matt Prior drove a totally new kind of AC Cobra. This is a car with one of the strongest allures of all - but also an incredibly complex and controversial history.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 23, 2024
SKODA KAMIQ
Autocar UK

SKODA KAMIQ

A long getting-to-know-you trip to Spain reveals all

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH
Autocar UK

THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH

Outgoing baby Jag is plush, practical and now eminently affordable

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
'Our time has come'
Autocar UK

'Our time has come'

Honda may be late to the EV party, but a barrage of bold new battery-powered cars is on the way. JAMES ATTWOOD speaks to boss Toshihiro Mibe at its R&D base to find out what's in store

time-read
8 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Lion kings
Autocar UK

Lion kings

Plush, powerful four-door cars are an endangered species - and now Peugeot has called time on its latest, the 508 PSE. STEPHEN DOBIE compares it with its most significant ancestor, the 505 GTI

time-read
6 mins  |
October 23, 2024
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Autocar UK

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

Wolfsburg gives the lesser-known Golf PHEV a big-impact refresh

time-read
7 mins  |
October 23, 2024