“Green Inferno”: This isn’t just a splashy movie title, but one that’s apparently becoming a reality on roads around the world. “Green” alternatives to bad combustion engines regularly cause negative headlines (and laborious fire brigade operations) due to fires. Now no one is saying that combustion engines can’t catch fire in the event of an accident – but what about vehicles that suddenly explode while parked in the driveway and set the house on fire?
Recently, the fire on the cargo ship “Fremantle Highway” was reported in the media. In fact, a study by Allianz Insurance previously found that transporting electric cars on ships significantly increases the risk of fire. Discussed:
The main causes of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are manufacturing defects, damaged battery cells or equipment, overcharging or short circuits. There is a risk of a fire that could flare up and even cause an explosion. Fire in electric vehicles is dangerous because it is difficult to extinguish and can ignite on its own.
allianz insurance
Treacherous is a good keyword, because while drivers are well aware of the risk of fire in the event of an accident, few expect their vehicle to suddenly burst into flames without any external impact . However, the latter happens more frequently with electric cars. These two cases made headlines in several media outlets in September:
Merseyside, England: A family’s electric car exploded and caught fire on the way to their home late in the evening. The garage and house also caught fire. It is being told that the vehicle was only one month old and a fault in the battery is believed to be the reason. (Daily Mail, 25 September)
New South Wales, Australian: A luxury car battery was stored with several vehicles at Sydney Airport. The battery suddenly sparked, causing many nearby cars to catch fire. Five vehicles were destroyed. (abc.net.au, 12 September)
Batteries catch fire after minimal collision
Even minimal bumps or driving over small objects on the road can apparently be enough to cause dangerous damage to the battery:
New Jersey, USA: A Tesla Model 3 passed an object on the road and then alerted the driver to a serious problem. He parked the car and got out. Shortly thereafter, the battery began to smoke and eventually burst into flames. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The extinguishing process was difficult as the Tesla re-ignited several times. (Breitbart, September 21)
New South Wales, Australian: A Tesla Model 3 burst into flames about 75 minutes east of the Sydney central business district after the vehicle collided with a section of road that was hit by a truck in front. This part punctured the Tesla battery, causing it to catch fire. The driver and passenger managed to escape and were not injured. (drive.com.au, 15 September)
A fire department employee posted a video on Facebook:
Indeed, batteries for e-vehicles are consistently praised for their quality standards, which are said to be significantly higher than those of e-scooters and e-bikes. The media always tries to emphasize that combustion engines can catch fire just as well – and more often than electric cars. People ignore the fact that there are far fewer electric cars driven around the world than combustion engines.
Tesla got burnt due to flood
Many people are hardly aware of the functionality and special risks of lithium-ion batteries – this was recently shown by a call to the fire department in Palm Harbor (Florida), which reported that hybrid and electric vehicles Those that come into contact with salt water flooding should be immediately removed from the garage. There is a serious risk of fire here – even weeks later, because salt residues can form “bridges” between the cells of lithium-ion batteries even after they have dried, causing a fire. Despite this, some drivers reportedly think they can drive their electric cars even in deep water. Many Teslas caught fire during the last flood caused by Hurricane Idalia in Florida.
It remains to be seen how fire statistics will change if electric cars are able to gain more market share over the years and are driven more frequently. The globalist paper “Standard” recently published an entertaining advertising article according to which “almost all” arguments against electric cars are wrong. There you read: “In fact, no one who has switched to an electric car wants their old combustion engine back.” You can laugh heartily because a recently published survey revealed that more than half of electric car drivers regret making the switch (Report 24 reports). This was stupid… let’s hope their unwanted electric vehicles don’t burn up too.
