(Picture above is not an EV fire. Foam may not be as effective in cooling the battery as water.)
The short answer is NO they do NOT catch fire all the time, but any battery fire when it does happen can take a lot of work to put out.
Some of the best research and FACTS regarding battery fires come from just across the Tasman. EV Firesafe have been funded by the Australian Department of Defence to “research electric vehicle battery fires and emergency response, by establishing the world’s only detailed and verified incident database for fire in electric cars, buses and trucks, plus specialist EVs in aviation, mining, military and airports”
I will not repeat the content of their website here but just list a few of their findings so far. For those who want to read more please go to the EV Firesafe website
Drive Electric also recently hosted a webinar from Emma Sutcliffe and Dan Fish of EV Firesafe that can be seen HERE
From EV Firesafe research 2010 -2024:
Over these 14 years verified 511 incidents of thermal runaway in BEVs and PHEVs (out of 40 million on the road)
Leading causes of battery fires are #1 Road Traffic Collision or impact with road debris #2 Battery Fault during manufacture (recall issued) #3 Submersion in a body of water and #4 External fire spreading to the EV.
In the last 12 months around 15% of incidents occurred when EV was connected to EV charging. However, as EV Firesafe point out “a normally operating EV connected to an electrically compliant charging unit, installed to relevant standards by a qualified person CANNOT cause a battery fire due to inbuilt safety checks”
Much more available at EV Firesafe
IAG, Australia’s largest general insurer, is also leading a global research project to create a best practice guide for the safe use and storage of lithium-ion batteries. The research seeks to debunk misconceptions about battery fires and establish clear, practical safety guidelines for everyday use.
The insurer is teaming up with experts from QUT, EV FireSafe, Standards Australia, iMOVE Co-operative Research Centre, and other global specialists to explore how lithium-ion batteries are managed in electric vehicles (EVs) and micromobility devices such as e-scooters and e-bikes, both in Australia and around the world.
