Inside each electric vehicle (EV) are hundreds or even thousands of lithium-ion cells, which store large amounts of energy. While these cells are among the most efficient ways to store energy, they also pose a danger—occasionally, a cell can overheat and catch fire, potentially igniting others around it.
This risk, particularly from a phenomenon called thermal runaway, as discussed in a recent article from npr, has led the U.S. Department of Energy to provide Aspen Aerogels with a $670.6 million loan to develop solutions to help contain fires in EVs.
