As more fleets move toward electrification, fleet operators and managers face many challenges, including keeping safety a top priority.
Electric vehicle (EV) fires are 0.3 percent likely to ignite compared to gas cars' 1.05 percent chance according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
EV fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are one factor that remains a safety concern for many fleet operators. However, the data shows that EV fires are not nearly as common as recent headlines suggest.
Even with lowered risk of fires in EVs compared to hybrids and gas vehicles, EV fires are particularly hard to stop and can produce dire consequences.
There are a few key things a fleet manager can do to mitigate the risk of EV fires.
An EV's battery performance and integrity should be assessed regularly because degraded batteries pose a significant safety risk to drivers.
“The challenge with batteries is that one bad cell could create that thermal runaway that leads to a fire,” Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Alitheon, told Business Fleet. Alitheon is a maker of optical AI technology for counterfeit and gray market identification and traceability.
Fleet operators should also be diligent about charging practices, as overcharging a battery can lead to instability.
“For a fleet manager, an important message is: Don't be afraid of EV fires,” Ganzarski said. “Rather, what fleet managers need to be concerned about is where their electric cars are being maintained and that they know they are getting the correct parts for that car’s system.”
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Source: Business Fleet
