Horrifying reports about burning electric vehicles are making the rounds again and again. According to an expert, three reasons are the triggers for these accidents.
When it comes to fires, electric cars are no more affected or more dangerous than vehicles with petrol or diesel engines, emphasized Roman Sykora, on-call officer at the Vienna fire brigade and the international association that deals with dangerous substances. There are currently more problems and even deaths from the batteries of e-bikes or scooters as well as cell phones – partly because they are often improperly disposed of. According to the expert, three reasons are usually responsible for an e-car bursting into flames: An internal error such as a short circuit, a fire that spreads to the battery, or mechanical damage to the cells, such as a traffic accident. In general, the battery is very well protected and isolated. However, if you notice smoke, you should get out of the vehicle as soon as possible. If the defect has occurred in the rest of the electrical system, you can fight the flames with a fire extinguisher like in a conventional car. If the battery is affected, the only thing that will help is a call to the fire brigade, preferably with the information that an electric vehicle is affected. Stopping the (chain) reaction The emergency services will try to extinguish the flames and use a thermal imaging camera to check whether the battery is affected. “You have to see if the reaction stops or not,” Sykora said. In theory, little liquid would be needed, the problem being access as vehicles very rarely have fittings to allow water to flow through the battery. Otherwise you would have to gain access mechanically. The only way to stop the (chain) reaction and prevent the fire from spreading from cell to cell is by cooling. The fire brigade will also try to use the least means to damage the vehicle as little as possible. If possible, the fight will take place in a quarantine area to prevent it from spreading to other objects, the expert described. The last resort is to sink the car in a water bath. Specialist companies would quickly provide appropriate containers. Sykora was unable to provide figures on how many electric cars caught fire in Austria. In this context, however, there are “extremely many myths being formed”. And the emergency services would learn something new with each new generation of electric cars. Cell phones as a hazard At the moment – also due to the sheer mass – one has to fight more with the batteries from toys, cell phones, bicycles and scooters than with those of e-cars: “If these If they end up in shredders in waste disposal companies, they are like burning lighters.” In addition, charging these devices often causes fires, for example because the batteries in mobile phones have been damaged by falling. That’s why you shouldn’t charge them overnight unattended or at least install a fire alarm. Parents should also educate their children that charging a cell phone under a pillow at night can also overheat and start a fire.
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