I’m a car expert – here’s why EV fires are so much more dangerous than other motors
A CAR expert has revealed why EV fires are much more dangerous than those affecting other motors.
John Evans explained that the way electric cars are built means that when they do burst into flames they present much more of a risk than traditional vehicles.
Writing for Autocar, he said: “Electric car fires are also incredibly difficult to put out.
“You think it’s out, and then it erupts again hours, days or even weeks later.
“They’re complex and often heralded by a highly toxic vapour cloud accompanied by a hissing noise and highly directional jets, followed, possibly, by an explosion.”
John, who has been writing about the motoring industry for decades, explained that fire services are having to come up with ingenious new solutions to tackle EV infernos.
This is because the fires are chemically different to the burning of traditional fuel.
The main cause for such fires is the ignition of the lithium salt solvent used in the batteries.
This can be sparked by damage to the battery or fluid leaks which see the lithium come into contact with moisture, sparking a powerful chemical reaction.
This means that it can’t be put out by water, while the nature of the chemicals involved means that the fire also doesn’t require oxygen to burn.
Given that the two most effective methods of putting out fires have, therefore, been ruled out, fighting the blazes becomes extremely difficult.
It also means that the fires can, as John said, restart violently even when they seem to have been extinguished.
He added: “Following containment, the burnt-out EV must be removed and deposited in a compound away from buildings and other vehicles.
“Some 25% of scrapyard fires are caused by spent lithium-ion batteries.
“More radical steps include immersing the car in water, although not seawater, because chlorine gas could be released.”
Concerns over EV fires have only been heightened in recent months, with some major firms recalling hundreds of cars over a potentially dangerous battery fault.
Indeed, residents of one North London suburb are locked in a war with their local council as they fear plans for a new housing development on top of an electric bus depot could turn the site into a “volcano”.
It comes after a Whitehall chief warned that up to two million drivers a day could be wrongly fined by ULEZ cameras.
Meanwhile, a YouTuber who took an EV on a 1,000-mile road trip explained why charging it up was a nightmare.