I’m a motors expert – here’s why EV fires make them more dangerous than petrol cars
A MOTORS expert has revealed why they believe EVs can be more dangerous than petrol cars.
Chris Keall used data from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to warn drivers of the risks of electric car ownership.
Writing for the New Zealand Herald, Chris pointed to cases of EV fires as a key danger for motorists.
While he admitted that the risk of fires is lower in EVs as they do not use flammable petrol or diesel, he explained that when they do happen they are far more severe and difficult to control.
Chris wrote: “An EV fire can take more than 10 times as much water to put out compared with a fire in a petrol or diesel car.
“A petrol or diesel car can take 2000 to 4000 litres to extinguish, and an EV 25,000 to 50,000 litres.”
Not only that, but there is also an issue with “thermal runaway”, where a single part of the battery can malfunction and set of a chain reaction that sees the whole thing go up in flames.
This starts an intense blaze and can still reignite up to several days later, meaning more time and resources are required to get it under control.
Likewise, the reliance on lithium to make car batteries is a cause for concern for many experts from a safety standpoint.
Lithium is extremely reactive and can ignite or even explode when it comes into contact with water.
This means that any leaks in the battery pack or bodywork that allow moisture into the electrical system could cause fires very quickly.
Indeed, Porsche and Audi have recently announced a recall of two of their popular EV models related to precisely this issue.
The companies emphasised that they have not had any reports of fires yet, but urged customers to bring their cars to be inspected from October 31 out of “an abundance of caution”.
Just last week dramatic footage from Australia showed a £50,000 Tesla exploding into a fireball on a major motorway.
Elsewhere, five cars were left burnt out at Sydney Airport after an inferno was reportedly sparked by a faulty EV battery.
And last month, 2,700 cars were melted on board a cargo ship as a suspected EV fire caused millions in damage.
It comes after an EV owner was left in disbelief when he was told how much a garage would charge him to fix his battery.
Meanwhile, a major manufacturer discontinued a popular model as prices rose for its hybrid replacement.