The Severe Risk of Battery Fires from Electric Vehicles
![tesla on fire](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6400f5db669916305f63913b/66bb0485a15afe8d1164b020_66bb045b096efabe8d93ba24_newsletter-%2520ev%2520fires.png)
Add battery-related fires to the list of challenges for widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption.
EVs are less likely to catch fire than gas-powered vehicles, but when they do, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery gets hotter, and the fire takes longer to put out.
When first responders in Franklin, Tennessee, faced their first EV fire from a Nissan Leaf in September 2023, it required 45,000 gallons of water compared to the 500-1,000 gallons typically needed to put out the fire of a gas-powered vehicle.
When asked what they might do in a similar situation next time, they responded, “Let it burn.”
But letting the car burn isn’t always an option.
Lawmakers in Seoul, which has a higher population density than New York or Tokyo, are considering specialized fire extinguishers and moving EV charging stations out of underground parking lots.