EV Fires Hit Customer View Of Safety

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For years, people have worried about the range, battery charging time, and expense of EVs. Now, there is another hurdle to adoption. EV fires, which are relatively rare, are in the public eye again.

According to Reuters, “South Korean officials met on Monday to discuss electric vehicle safety and whether to require car firms to disclose battery brands amid growing consumer concern after an EV blaze in an underground garage extensively damaged an apartment block.” While it would seem that the incident would not affect opinions outside the Asian country, the press has covered the disaster widely. That means it has spread to developed nations like the US and regions like the EU which are among the largest for the industry.

Ford Fires

Several EV fires have received broad attention. One was a blaze that engulfed an F-150 Lightning. Ford’s highest profile EV. It happened on February 4, 2023. If a video of the incident had not been picked up by CNBC it might not have become a major problem. However, Ford stopped production of the vehicle for three weeks . China EV sales are soaring In China, so the news does not seem to be a problem.

EV Fires In US

Other EV fire news was picked up widely. A Rivian pickup caught fire at a charging station on June 6 of last year. And an Amazon Rivian delivery truck caught fire about a month ago. Cheap EVs could save the industry.

The public’s fear may be misplaced. A recent study showed that gas powered cars and hybrids were more likely to produce fires than EVs were. The Fairfax County government published research on the data. “Data from the National Transportation Safety Board showed that EVs were involved in approximately 25 fires for every 100,000 sold. Comparatively, approximately 1,530 gasoline-powered vehicles and 3,475 hybrid vehicles were involved in fires for every 100,000 sold.”

EVs, however, can’t seem to avoid the bias created by the media.