A TikTok about electric vehicle fires sparked an important conversation about the safety of the automobiles and their batteries.
Sarah (@electrify_this), who shares content about decarbonizing our homes and transportation, noted there had been only "491 confirmed, verified electric battery fires" in EV passenger cars "on the entire planet" from 2010 to midway through this year.
@electrify_this Here's a classic example of how the actual stats don't match the narrative pushed by vested interests. #evfires #evfiresafety #electriccarfires #evmythbusting #evmythsdebunked #evmythbuster ♬ original sound - Electrify_this
"That just goes to show how safe electric cars are," Sarah concluded. "Here's a classic example of how the actual stats don't match the narrative pushed by vested interests," she added in the caption.
"Exactly," one commenter wrote. "Another lie perpetuated by legacy automakers."
The data comes from EV FireSafe, whose updated statistics note there were 511 verified EV traction battery fires globally through June. The company, with funding from the Australian government, notes its data is not exhaustive but comes from multiple sources.
Another study, by AutoinsuranceEZ, confirms EV battery fires are extremely rare, with about 25 per 100,000 sales, per MotorWeek. Gas-powered vehicles catch fire at a rate of 1,530 per 100,000 sales. Hybrid vehicles pose the greatest risk, with 3,475 fires per 100,000 sales.
This means the chances of fire are 0.03%, 1.5%, and 3.5%, respectively. In an EV, fire risk is 61 times lower than with a traditional vehicle, according to VinFast. That's because EVs have fewer moving parts, and they have zero combustion, flammable liquids, or hot exhaust gases.
Still, myths persist about the safety and eco-friendliness of their batteries. And yet scientists are working to make EVs even safer, developing technology to monitor battery cells and predict fire risk.
Though many commenters replied with misinformation and disinformation, others proceeded with good faith. One user even alluded to a future EV purchase.
"Not taken the leap yet but there is no doubt electric the way to go," they said. "It's good that people are investing in it. We have to start somewhere."
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