Why Did Our Parked Electric Car Burst Into Flames?

[naomi24]

//A mother said her family was "lucky to have got out safely" after their parked electric car exploded and engulfed their house in flames.

Georgina Bayliss from Spratton, Northamptonshire, said their Mercedes EQA had been parked outside their house for several hours before the explosion.

She said her younger son had seen flames around the front of the house and thought the rest of the family and their five dogs were still inside.

Mercedes-Benz UK said it was carrying out an investigation.//

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5l46l2vdxo

 

 

It seems there's some way to go with the manufacture and safety of these cars.  I'll stick with what I've got.

[Boto]

Me too.  It's frightening that this can happen.

[Old_Geezer]

Well they do occasionally. No doubt someone will be along to say they do less often than normal vehicles, but it's more serious when their batteries go up in flames, and it's a bigger risk after an accidence.

 

Everyone must've seen vids of electric bikes doing the same when charging.  Scooters too probably, I don't commit vids to memory.

[newmodarmy]

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/environment-energy-coordination/climate-matters/EV-less-fire-risk#:~:text=While%20EV%20fires%20are%20not,are%20protected%20from%20the%20elements.&text=Batteries%20take%20a%20long%20time,fire%20must%20be%20handled%20differently.

"Data Shows EVs are Less of a Fire Risk than Conventional Cars"

So why the concern? There are two main reasons, according to those who have looked at the issue:

"Because EVs are still relatively novel, media may have a tendency to highlight fires that involve lithium-ion batteries.  Increased media coverage can lead to a public perception of increased risk, even when the opposite is true. "

"While EV fires are not as common as gas-powered vehicle fires, they are more difficult to extinguish, due to how the batteries are protected from the elements.4 Batteries take a long time to cool, creating a risk of reignition, so EVs that have caught on fire must be handled differently. The battery chemistry itself also poses challenges to firefighters during extinguishment."

I'm not sure how reliable that article is though as it's written by a climate change  group and therefore will be pro-EV

[ToraToraTora]

Thermal runaway is the problem....

https://dragonflyenergy.com/thermal-runaway/

Yep for now I'll stick with my non spontaneous combusting jaaag!

 

[douglas9401]

Buildings collapse, gas explodes, fires start, planes crash.

Just another day, don't have nightmares but don't buy into the airy fairy green crap either.

[sddsddean]

Are "they" still maintaining the big fire at Luton airport car park was a diesel car and not an electric (which everyone with any sense knows)? Just wondering.

[Allen Crisp]

I have plenty of sense and I don't know that. Why do you think you do?

[barry1010]

It was a diesel car ssd

[CJHorse]

Good point

[nicebloke1]

Buying any brand new model of car can be very risky, especially these electric models.

You part with thousands of pounds only really to become one of the motor companies test pilots or guinea pig if you like. In many cases you are left standing alone, or back and forth to the garage trying to explore the ongoing problems and faults.

When things start to get a real pain the garages resort to denying any problems exsist, or your are requested no end of time to just see how it goes. What they really mean is, we have no clue what the problem is, please now stay away.

And to think they are looking at electric planes. BOOM!!!

[ToraToraTora]

12:29 In this case I agree NB, I'll stick with my 20 year old Jaaag, just got a new MOT this very morning!

[nicebloke1]

One of the reasons I've never ever bought any car unless its done around 10/12k you then stand a very good chance that any real problems have been ironed out. So far this has never gone wrong for me, fingers crossed.

[ToraToraTora]

once again we agree NB, I have never bought a new jam jar.

[Ryzen]

Not quite zero emissions now is it?

[nicebloke1]

If i see one on a car i won't be parking next to it. :0)

[nicebloke1]

....carpark^^

[tomus42]

Batteries can do this, but it's normally when people buy cheap Chinese ones rather than paying for the manufacturer's.

If this is the factory fitted one Mercedes could have a big recall problem on their hands.

[Tuvok]

A relatives car went on fire all by itself years ago.