With the increased cost of gas and climate concerns, more people are choosing electric vehicles for their day-to-day driving. There are certainly plenty of high-profile cases in which electric vehicles, like Teslas, suddenly catch fire or explode. But how does this compare to gas-powered cars?
Here’s what you need to know about electric vs. gas vehicle safety.
How safe are electric vehicles?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, electric vehicles must meet the same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards as gas-powered light duty cars and trucks. “To meet these standards, vehicles must undergo an extensive, long-established testing process, regardless of whether the vehicle operates on gasoline or electricity. Separately, EV battery packs must meet their own testing standards. Moreover, EVs are designed with additional safety features that shut down the electrical system when they detect a collision or short circuit.”
Recurrent Auto reports that “Last year’s Chevy Bolt and Hyundai Kona recalls attracted a lot of negative attention…but the risk of fire or explosion is greatly exaggerated. Battery electric vehicles actually have the lowest risk of fire, as compared to gas cars and hybrids [emphasis added].”
This is backed up from additional studies, which determined that gas cars see fires in 1,530 out of every 100,000 cars, while battery electric vehicles only have 25 fires per 100,000 cars. However, it’s important to note that hybrid vehicles have the most fires: 3,475 per 100,000.
There is also no flammable gas in an electric vehicle. Typically, an EV with a high voltage battery automatically disconnects if a collision happens, and there are manual disconnect options for mechanics and first responders.
Electric battery fires
While electric vehicles have significantly fewer fires, they do come with problems of their own. The lithium ion batteries burn hotter than gas-powered car fires. This is problematic for fire crews, who can usually put out a car fire with 500 gallons of water. Compare that to this Tesla on fire, which required 12,000 gallons and two hours of continuously applied water.
Experts note that waterlogged batteries are particularly prone to catching fire, which crews are noticing after Hurricane Ian. The batteries corrode after water exposure, making it more likely that they will catch fire.
If you’ve been injured as a result of an electric vehicle fire or accident, the Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.
Get help from a Columbus personal injury lawyer
The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your electric vehicle accident case. When you’re the victim of negligence or recklessness, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (877) 614-9524 so that I can evaluate your case right away.
