Myth or fact — do electric cars catch fire more easily than petrol cars

Few topics spark as heated an online debate as EV fire safety. The truth, as usual, is more nuanced than the social media headlines.

What the data shows

Multiple independent analyses from insurers and fire safety authorities in various countries indicate that EVs, on the whole, don't catch fire more often than combustion cars — several studies find a lower fire rate per registered vehicle for EVs.

Why the perception differs

EV fires get disproportionate media attention. A petrol car fire is rarely news; an EV fire almost always is.

Lithium-ion fires burn differently. Thermal runaway in a battery can lead to a longer, harder-to-extinguish fire, including reignition hours later. That makes individual cases more dramatic and memorable, even with a lower overall frequency.

Extinguishing requires a different approach. Fire departments worldwide are adapting their protocols — water immersion or specialized extinguishing agents instead of conventional foam. Training is still catching up in many countries, which lengthens response times in individual cases.

When the risk actually increases

Thermal runaway risk rises with physical damage to the battery (a serious crash), with the use of low-quality or non-certified chargers, and with batteries carrying a known manufacturing defect (hence the mass recall campaigns for certain models).

Practical tips for owners

• Use only original or certified charging cables and stations
• After an incident with visible damage to the underbody (where the battery is usually located), always have it checked at an authorized service, even without visible damage to the battery itself
• Never ignore warning signals from the battery management system

Conclusion

EVs aren't more dangerous in terms of fire frequency, but battery fires require a different extinguishing approach and get disproportionate media coverage. The real risk for the average owner remains low under normal use with original charging accessories.

Browse EVs with a verified history and battery warranty on FindVolta.