Electric Vehicle Fires and Battery Safety

✍️ Dr. Yong-woon Na, Korea Fire Institute

The Earth is becoming progressively warmer over time, posing a significant threat to the environment necessary for human survival. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, countries around the world are actively implementing carbon neutrality policies to reduce carbon emissions, one of the primary causes of global warming. In particular, the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce carbon emissions from internal combustion engines is not optional but essential, and must be actively pursued. However, the recent rise in electric vehicle fires has become a major obstacle to this transition.

The causes of fires and thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles can be categorized into thermal, mechanical, and electrical factors. Fires due to thermal causes occur when a nearby fire triggers thermal runaway in the EV battery. Mechanical causes are typically the result of damage to internal electrodes caused by mechanical impacts, such as those from traffic accidents, leading to thermal runaway. Lastly, the primary causes of electric vehicle fires that occur during charging or when parked with a nearly full charge are overcharging and overdischarging, which are electrical factors. Efforts are being made across all sectors to address these issues. However, the difficulty in extinguishing fires due to the characteristics of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles has become a rising social concern.

However, contrary to media reports, electric vehicle fires are not impossible to extinguish, nor do they always escalate into large-scale fires once they occur. It is true that due to the characteristics of lithium-ion batteries, the three elements of combustion—oxygen, fuel, and an ignition source—are present within the battery, making fire suppression challenging. However, the thermal runaway that occurs in lithium-ion batteries is more of a chemical reaction than a typical fire. By continuously cooling the battery to maintain the temperature below the threshold that triggers the chain reaction, it is possible to halt the reaction and successfully extinguish electric vehicle fires.

In particular, looking at the cases of electric vehicle fires that have been successfully extinguished by firefighting teams so far, there has never been an instance where a fire escalated into a large-scale disaster. This demonstrates that firefighters possess sufficient capabilities to handle electric vehicle fires effectively. However, in the case of the Cheongna fire in Incheon, the fire escalated into a large-scale incident because the fire protection systems that should have been activated did not function properly. Had a fire involving an internal combustion engine vehicle occurred in the same location, the result would have been the same, likely resembling the underground parking lot fire that occurred in Buldang, Cheonan.

Therefore, the phobia surrounding electric vehicle fires needs to be examined more rationally. From a fire suppression perspective, the focus should shift away from fear and instead be directed toward fire prevention, which addresses the root causes of the issue.

So, what is needed to overcome the phobia or chasm surrounding electric vehicle fires?

The most important task is to enhance battery fire safety, which requires continuous effort and attention from all sectors. First, battery and electric vehicle manufacturers must focus on developing fire-resistant batteries, such as solid-state batteries, and Battery Management Systems (BMS) incorporating artificial intelligence technologies. Meanwhile, the government must take a systematic approach and provide active support for policies, systems, and safety standards that foster a healthy industrial ecosystem for batteries and electric vehicles.

The social issues we are currently facing regarding electric vehicle fires present a critical turning point that could determine the future competitiveness of Korea's electric vehicle technology. I firmly believe that if citizens, manufacturers, and the government work together to overcome these challenges, Korea can be the first in the world to achieve the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and I have no doubt that this will happen.