Preventing Fire in Electric Vehicles: This article is about Preventing Fire in Electric Vehicles. Recently, we have seen a lot of incidents of fire in electric vehicles. Here we will discuss various reasons why electric vehicles catch fire. We will also discuss various ways to prevent fire in electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles are becoming very popular in India. Electric two-wheelers are at the top of the list when we talk about electric vehicles. In the recent few years, there have been some disturbing incidents about electric two-wheelers catching fire. This incident leads to severe losses in terms of vehicle safety issues, the mindset of common people, and of course, there are safety issues for human beings. After such incidents, electric bike manufacturers took all these incidents into account did intense research and study, and found out several ways and methods.
Why do Electric Vehicles Catch Fire?
This is the most basic and first question that arises in everyone’s mind. We need to find reasons. Some of the reasons are-
- Fault in Manufacturing– This is one of the biggest reasons for electric two-wheeler catching fire. Two-wheeler manufacturers are launching various new models with various features. These two-wheelers do not have the best components and parts. Their body parts and components are cheap and of low quality. They start getting heated once used properly.
- Excessive Heating– This is another important reason why electric vehicle catches fire. Electric vehicle heats up when used beyond a certain range. The battery catches fire and explodes in flames on exposure to high temperatures.
- Extreme Weather Conditions– In India, we have extreme weather conditions if you talk about summer and winter. In summer, there are places where the temperature goes up to 52 degree Celsius. This extreme temperature and condition are not good for batteries.
- Improper Handling– This is another reason for electric scooters to catch fire. People don’t know how to handle electric vehicles. Improper handling means exposure of the bike to dirt, grease, water, and exposure to internal parts and components of these substances. Improper handling damages vehicles, their body parts, and even battery components.
- Lack of Servicing and Maintenance– Any vehicle running on the road needs servicing and maintenance at proper intervals. There are few people who continue using their bikes for months without doing regular maintenance and servicing.
- Battery Malfunction– The battery is the most important part of an electric vehicle. We need to keep regular checks on our battery. We need to charge them properly and keep track of their signs. Improper charging and discharging deteriorate the life of a battery.
How to Avoid Electric Vehicle Fire
There are a few ways and steps that we can follow in order to prevent our electric vehicles from catching fire.
- Buying a good vehicle– There are a lot of new startups that have entered the electric vehicle market. As a customer, we need to be very alert and prompt while choosing an electric vehicle for ourselves. We need to invest our money in a company which is well established and has been in the business for a long time.
- Proper charging– Inconsistent charging leads to the deterioration of the life of the battery. We need to maintain a strict routine in terms of charging our electric vehicles. We must charge our vehicle battery only when it is discharged. Some people charge their batteries again and again which increases the risk of short circuits and fires in a battery.
- Proper maintenance and servicing– Our vehicle must be maintained and serviced at regular intervals. This way all the risks associated with the vehicle will be eliminated and any damaged part can be repaired at the correct time.
- Consistent driving-Reckless driving along with constant acceleration and braking puts a lot of stress on the battery and the vehicle. It generates a lot of heat which can create a spark.
- Exposure to extreme temperature– We must park our vehicles in the shade during extreme weather conditions. Exposure to extreme temperatures for a vehicle and battery is not good and can cause severe damage.
- Battery checkups– The battery of our vehicle must be checked at regular intervals for any malfunction or defect. This will eliminate the risk of heating up, spark, or any other accident.
Fire Resistant Material
Researchers and manufacturers have come up with a fire resistant material. This material will help to breach the concept of fire in electric vehicle batteries. This material is used in the battery of electric vehicles where the cells are combined to form a module. The fire-resistant materials can be used around the battery pack, inside the inclusive, beneath the lead, around the modules, and between the cells to ensure more safety.
The other aspect of using this material is that they reduce the power storage capacity of the batteries. This means that the range of the vehicle is reduced up to an extent due to which manufacturers are reluctant to use these materials.
Cell-to-Pack Technology
This is another technology that is being widely used by manufacturers in terms of electric vehicles in order to reduce the accidents such as fire. In this technology, all the cells are packed together instead of a modulus structure. Here all the cells are combined together eliminating the risk of thermal runaway. Battery designers and manufacturers are working on materials that can insulate the cells from each other and prevent the spread of thermal runaways.
The challenge here is that the material used must be lightweight, easy to work with, and can withstand high temperatures, and flames.
Other Techniques Being Used
Researchers and manufacturers are using materials like aero gels and encapsulated foams. These materials provide thermal and electrical insulation which prevents the spread of fire. The other option is the usage of compression pads having fire-resistant additives.
We must inform our readers that these solutions are very useful but are in the early stages of development. With the increase in demand for more efficient batteries, researchers are finding ways to eliminate the risk of fire.
Conclusion
So, we have discussed a lot about Preventing Fire in Electric Vehicles. We have analyzed several reasons for fire and methods to eliminate them. Researchers and manufacturers are working very hard to find alternatives through which they can completely prevent the risk of fire in electric vehicles. A lot of work has been done and a lot still needs to be done.
We hope that there will be a few technologies in the coming times where we can drive our vehicles without any risk. Then only we can achieve the target of building the best electric vehicle ecosystem in India.
