Myth: EVs Catch Fire More Often Than Gas Cars
Headlines about burning electric vehicles have convinced many people that lithium batteries are “rolling tinderboxes.” However, data tells a very different story. Statistically, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are significantly more likely to catch fire than EVs. Gasoline is a highly volatile liquid, and with thousands of mini-explosions happening under the hood every minute, the potential for a leak-induced fire is much higher.
While it is true that EV fires are harder to extinguish once they start, they occur at a much lower frequency per mile driven. Most studies show that gas cars have about a 1 in 1,000 chance of catching fire, while for EVs, that risk is closer to 1 in 10,000. Battery-powered cars are, by and large, much less likely to go up in flames.
