A new report is warning that electric vehicle fires could become more common in the coming years as more EVs hit the road, with experts stating that battery cell technology must improve.
The latest report from 24M Technologies, a technology company aiming to “revolutionise” battery design and manufacturing, said fires involving EVs would increase, with an estimated 250 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2030.
It warned that thermal incidents are set to increase as more EVs hit the road, with a “significant” potential impact on public safety and profitability for major manufacturers.
The report pointed to research suggesting that some major markets, including the UK, have seen a 33 per cent jump in thermal runaway fires involving electric cars.
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Experts are warning that electric car fires could become more common with more EVs on the road in the future
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Data obtained from fire services across the UK by QBE revealed that the number of fires increased from 89 in 2022 to 118 in 2023.
Estimates suggest that recalls related to EV fires carry an estimated price tag of $1billion (£746million) per vehicle model line, 24M Technologies stated, describing it as a potential “crisis”.
To combat this, the company called for the design of battery cells to be reimagined to ensure they are “fundamentally safer”, which would also mitigate the amount manufacturers need to spend on recalls or fixes.
Naoki Ota, President and CEO at 24M Technologies, said: “The industry’s current safety challenges stem from decades-old battery design principles.
“While we’ve achieved remarkable progress in cost reduction and energy density, we’re still building upon architectures that have not fundamentally changed in more than 30 years.
“Rather than address these issues through add-on system features, safety must be incorporated as a foundational element at the core of the battery cell.”
Data from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency shows there have been just 23 fire incidents involving electric cars, representing just 0.004 per cent of Sweden’s total fleet of 611,000 EVs.
In comparison, there have been 34,000 fires from the 4.4 million petrol and diesel cars, representing 0.08 per cent.
According to the data, electric cars are 20 times less likely to result in fires, compared to petrol and diesel vehicles.
The automotive industry already utilises the established Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) process to identify risks, although 24M states battery issues should attract a maximum rating of 10.
Any issue which is rated a 10 indicates that it could cause a serious, adverse effect on consumer safety, including catastrophic damage, major system failure, life-threatening injury or death.
24M acknowledged that electric vehicles are less likely to cause fires compared to internal combustion engines, but warned that they could cause issues when charging in garages, apartment blocks, shopping centres and other buildings.
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It noted that fires in lithium batteries often occur because of dendrite growth in cells, which is “inevitable”. This can take place if the vehicle is overcharged, charging at very low temperatures, or there is frequent fast charging and discharging.
Ota added: “The solution is to incorporate transformative in-cell fire prevention technology.
“The industry must shift from reactive measures to try to contain fires to proactive designs preventing failures before they occur.
“Without this step change approach, the safety and financial challenges will only intensify as EV adoption accelerates.”
