News coverage—whether online, print or local TV—gravitates toward fires. When an EV story penetrates the mainstream, it's often associated with them. Even someone who knows next to nothing about electric vehicles has probably heard about the Chevy Bolt recalls or encountered video of a burnt Tesla. Do EVs cause more fire than a typical combustion vehicle? How safe are EVs when they do catch fire? Is fire a risk prospective EV buyers should worry about? Here's what we know.
EV fires can also reignite, sometimes long after the initial fire is extinguished. EV Fire Safe found that 13 percent of EV fires experienced reignition. The study logged one reiginition event 68 days after the initial fire. EV fires release a cloud of flammable vapor that can explode and send jet-like flames. Water does extinguish EV battery fires. However, getting water directly to an EV fire can be challenging.