FWIW, to make a fair comparison, I’d suggest that one look at not just the numerator (the # of gas/diesel or electric vehicles that have caught fire OR the ones that have been recalled due to the risk of catching fire), but also the denominator (the total # of such cars *SOLD*). I do not know what the ratio is for either type of vehicle, but if folks are going to suggest that one is safer or more dangerous than the other, I think it’d be more accurate to cite some figures that would enable a fair conclusion.
Also, consider that most fires for internal combustion vehicles occur during *operation*. It is exceedingly rare for a parked, non-running gas vehicle to just start burning; I don’t recall ever seeing a recall warning for that, nor heard of such a case happening (though, of course, it might have). There have been more than a few cases of electric cars catching fire “spontaneously” while charging, or just parked. That is a big concern, since having your electric vehicle catch fire in your garage in the middle of the night while your family is asleep atop the garage is a frightening thought. I’ll note that the Felicity Ace cargo ship carrying 4,100+ vehicles, most from the VW group (including Volkswagens, Audis, Porsches, Lamborghinis, and Bentleys) caught fire last month at sea. The crew and rescuers were unable to put the fire out; the ship continued to burn for days and ultimately sank. Investigators believe, though not conclusively, the fire started from the load of electric vehicles on board, and that’s why they were unable to put out the fire. https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a39139830/salvage-operations-underway-felicity-ace/ Having said all of this – I escaped from and walked away from *two* car fires (on the race track), and I would not let the fear of spontaneous electric vehicle fires stop me from buying one (and charging it in my garage). While possible, it is nevertheless very rare. I think EVs offer enough advantages that, in the free market, they are attractive enough to consumers that they will make up an ever-increasing portion of new vehicle sales going forward. I am very dismayed, however, at the colossal waste of taxpayer money in foolish, politically-driven subsidies that have represented hundreds of millions of dollars going down the drain. My $0.02… --Dennis From: Lincoln <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Chris McCarthy Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2022 9:12 AM To: Paul Shorb <[email protected]> Cc: LincolnTalk <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Safety of electric vehicle batteries Recalls for potential vehicle fires are nothing new. Kia and Hyundai recently recalled 485,000 cars for this purpose, which is more than 4x the number of Chevy Bolts impacted. A consumer reports article notes that "owners of these vehicles should park their cars outdoors and away from structures until a recall repair is completed" (https://www.consumerreports.org/car-recalls-defects/park-recalled-hyundai-kia-vehicles-outside-due-to-fire-risk-a1002120529/). So Hyundai/Kia are recommending a similar interim guidance until their problem is resolved. BMW recalled 1 million vehicles for fire risk in 2017 (https://abcnews.go.com/US/bmw-recalls-million-vehicles-fire-risk/story?id=50922136). I'd personally be more concerned by having 20 gallons of highly flammable gasoline sitting in a garage. Most people don't routinely maintain their fuel system, and as someone who extensively works on my own cars (including an electric chevy for some time) I've had more than one fuel leak occur in my lifetime. - Chris On Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 08:55 Paul Shorb <[email protected]> wrote: Richard - You asked whether the GEC has any thoughts on the specific dangers of lithium batteries catching fire in EV. You noted among other things that in recent weeks two manufacturers released bulletins telling customers not to park their vehicles in a garage. I'm not a technical expert, and of course EVs are not part of what will be put before this Town Meeting, but I can offer the following. I understand from an EV owner in town that the bulletin is part of the federal car-safety system working as it should. If the manufacturer detects a possible problem, it sends out an alert called a "recall notice", which may tell you to bring your car in to have something fixed at manufacturer expense, and meanwhile take care in certain ways. Maybe some other LT reader who has received one of these EV notices can fill in here. To put this in perspective, remember that there is some risk associated with any form of stored energy, including a car's fuel tank full of gasoline. We are all familiar from TV and movies of cars being burned up by their own gasoline, and that has actually happened to our family's van. (We all got out in time, no one was hurt.) I think I'll feel very safe in an EV. - Paul Shorb -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
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