Lithium batteries

[David L]

Yes, less likely to catch fire, perhaps...........but when they do  . Most ICE fires are contained under the bonnet and fairly easy to extinguish...and rarely explosive.

But considerably more common evidently, and less easy to contain because of course the flammable material is liquid.

" The temperatures involved and the sparks generated cause a fire, further fuelled by the vented gases as the battery cells decompose further, resulting in rapid fire spread. This process happens far more quickly than in any other type of fire."

https://www.britsafe.org/safety-management/2024/lithium-ion-batteries-a-growing-fire-risk

[Slim]

Nonetheless the dramatically lower incidence of having a fire in the first place makes it a silly point.

[David L]

Nonetheless the dramatically lower incidence of having a fire in the first place makes it a silly point.

I'll contact The British Safety Council later and let them know 

[Slim]

Nonetheless the dramatically lower incidence of having a fire in the first place makes it a silly point.

I'll contact The British Safety Council later and let them know 

Never heard of them, but I'm sure they're well aware already

[David L]

Another Mercedes EV explodes, this time in Sheffield

[Slim]

Shocking petrol car fire in North Wales

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/dramatic-scenes-a55-petrol-station-31133379

Fortunately although the driver of the burnt-out car was shaken, he was unharmed

[Thenop]

Not sure whether these isolated incidents actually mean anything. So I askee ChatGPT for the Netherlands how many cars with electric motors caught on fire, and how this measures up to cars with traditional engines. Note that E motorized cars include hybrid tech cars, so a combo of E motors, and a combustion engine.

The numbers for the Netherlands are clear: regular cars have a fire incident rate of 0,057%, E powered cars 0,0085%. So that is significantly lower. The perception that E powered cars are more fire sensitive is not supported by the statistics.

[David L]

Not sure whether these isolated incidents actually mean anything. So I askee ChatGPT for the Netherlands how many cars with electric motors caught on fire, and how this measures up to cars with traditional engines. Note that E motorized cars include hybrid tech cars, so a combo of E motors, and a combustion engine.

The numbers for the Netherlands are clear: regular cars have a fire incident rate of 0,057%, E powered cars 0,0085%. So that is significantly lower. The perception that E powered cars are more fire sensitive is not supported by the statistics.

I don't think the issue has ever been that EVs are more fire sensitive, tbf.

[David L]

Nonetheless the dramatically lower incidence of having a fire in the first place makes it a silly point.

I'll contact The British Safety Council later and let them know 

Never heard of them, but I'm sure they're well aware already

FYI

The British Safety Council, a registered charity founded by James Tye in 1957, is one of the world's leading health and safety organisations alongside the likes of Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and International Institute of Risk & Safety Management. Wikipedia
CEO: Michael Robinson (1 Sept 2015–)
Founded: 1957
Headquarters: London

[Slim]

Thanks. I'm sure they're well aware of the relative risks then, assuming they know what they're doing.

In any case the purpose of this section of the site is for contributors to bring interesting or notable technology or science information to the attention of other readers, not to engage in culture warfare against environmentalism.

That said, users are perfectly welcome to wage keyboard warfare against eco-friendly practices should they wish but please start a thread for that purpose in General Chat or the Politics section, depending on content. I'm closing this thread now.