The Incident and Policy Changes
Last month, a Mercedes Benz EQE 350 electric vehicle caught fire in a South Korean apartment building’s underground parking garage. Reportedly, 23 people were sent to the hospital and approximately 900 cars were damaged… The incident led to a series of swift policy changes in the country, including the acceleration of a planned EV battery certification program and new rules in Seoul that should prevent owners from ‘overcharging’ their vehicles in underground parking garages (Marshall, 2024).
Battery Manufacturing and Fire Risk
To understand why battery manufacturing matters to fire risk, you have to understand the basics of lithium-ion batteries… If, say, a tiny particle of metal gets into that electrolyte through an unclean manufacturing process… it could create a spark, open the battery cell, and allow oxygen to come rushing in and possibly expose the entire battery pack to fire… Through solid manufacturing processes, ‘one can never make the risk of fire absolutely zero, but good companies have minimized the risk,’ says Srinivasan (Marshall, 2024).
Advancements in Safer Batteries
Enter lithium-iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries. LFP batteries enter thermal runaway at higher temperatures… They’re also slower to degrade than other chemistries. And, finally, the powerful advantage from automakers’ point of view: They’re cheaper to make. Many automakers have shifted towards LFP batteries. Tesla Models 3 and Y purchased in the US after 2022 have them, and so do Rivians and Fords (Marshall, 2024).
The Future of Fire Safety and Firefighting
Globally, fire groups are focused on preparing firefighters and other first responders for the unique aspects of lithium-ion battery fires… Earlier this year, the southern Australia state of New South Wales required firefighters to take online electric vehicle fire training… Firefighters could also use some help from manufacturers to prevent out-of-control blazes, says Emma Sutcliffe… Other automakers make it easy for firefighters to cut a battery’s power to other parts of the vehicle (Marshall, 2024).
The Potential of Solid-State Batteries
The true technological hero of less fire-y batteries is just over the horizon: solid state… For years, automakers and battery developers have hyped the prospect of solid-state batteries, but they have yet to show up in production cars. The good news is that solid-state batteries are performing better than ever… The bad news is that the great performances are happening in the lab (Marshall, 2024).
Analysis
Although electric vehicles catch fire less often than traditional fossil-fuel cars, it is still nice to see that we can reduce this possibility even further. Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries and other more recent battery chemistries are less likely to catch fire or have thermal runaway. My takeaway from this article is that you should never overlook the risks and dangers, even if the situation or product seems safe. When it comes to the actual design process, I’ll keep the safety guidelines in mind and consider all kinds of risks.
References
Marshall, A. (2024, September 15). The auto industry finally has a plan to stop electric vehicle fires. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/the-auto-industry-finally-has-a-plan-to-stop-electric-vehicle-fires/
Sundin, M. (2023, May 10). 🔥 electric cars catch fire less often than fossil fuel cars. Warp News. https://www.warpnews.org/transportation/electric-cars-catch-fire-less-often-than-fossil-fuel-cars/
