EVs at lower risk of catching fire

PETALING JAYA: The risk of fire in electric vehicles (EV) is far lower than combustion vehicles.

Data collected by EV FireSafe, an Australian company that ­monitors EV fires, showed that out of the 40 million EVs ­operating globally as of early last year, the rate of fires is estimated at one out of 100,000.

According to the Fire and Rescue Department, five cases of EV fires have been reported in the past three years.

“Data from studies in the United States and Europe show that EVs catch fire less often than gasoline cars,” said department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad (pic), acknowledging that there were few cases in Malaysia.

Citing a study in the United States, he said there were 1,530 fires per 100,000 gasoline vehicles and 3,475 fires per 100,000 hybrid vehicles.

Comparatively, there were 25 fires involving 100,000 EVs.

“Generally, there is less risk, but if a battery catches fire, it is more difficult to extinguish,” he said.

Hisham said if a battery caught fire, it could be extinguished by flooding it with water.

“If there is smoke, please exit the car immediately. If the ­charging does not reach 100% when charging, please refer to a service centre,” he said on the safety precautions to observe.

EV fires are usually caused by the chemical instability of ­l­ithium-ion cells, with thermal runaway being one of the most common scenarios that could cause a fire.

Thermal runaway happens when a single battery cell overheats, causing an uncontrolled rise in temperature that may cause a fire.