Why Media Stories About EV Fires Shouldn’t Worry You

You have probably heard about the massive recall of the Chevrolet Bolt EV due to a defect that significantly increased the risk of fires. After dozens of Chevy Bolts broke out into flames in 2020, General Motors first recalled the model in November before issuing three more recalls in July 2022.

With all this media talk about electric vehicle fires, you are probably wondering if it would be a good (and safe) idea to purchase an EV, especially if you have little or no experience with one before. Data shows that the 2019 Bolt EV with an LG-manufactured battery is nearly 35 times more likely to catch fire than a similar gas-powered model produced in 2019, after all.

It would be easy for a novice to believe that given the large battery stored along the bottoms of electric cars, they present a much higher risk of fire and are essentially ticking bombs. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Despite the Bolt’s much higher risk of fire, the average electric vehicle is much less likely to catch fire compared to a similar gasoline-powered car.

Since electric cars still make up a pretty small percentage of total vehicle sales, researchers from Auto Insurance EZ compared the number of fires for every 100,000 cars sold. The researchers drew data on fire accidents from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, finding that there were 3,474.5 hybrid fires per 100,000 vehicles, 1,529.9 gasoline car fires, and only 25.1 electric vehicle fires per 100,000.

Media coverage of electric vehicle fires has made it seem like EV fires are much more common. EVs are a new and disruptive technology, meaning they attract plenty of media attention. The presence of a few fires makes for entertaining reporting, especially at a time when electric vehicles are getting a lot of mainstream attention.

Furthermore, extinguishing electric vehicle fires calls for a ton of effort from emergency personnel due to a chain reaction that causes EV batteries to produce more heat than they can dissipate. EV fires are also harder to extinguish than gas car fires, usually requiring tens of thousands of gallons of water, as the lithium-ion batteries within take much longer than gasoline to burn out.

But as the EV industry evolves and matures, car manufacturers such as Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ: NKLA), product safety advocates and law enforcement will likely come up with safety standards and methods to respond to EV fire issues. In the meantime, drivers should know that the risk of encountering an electric vehicle fire is significantly lower than a conventional vehicle fire.

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