Electric vehicle fires are hard to extinguish and can reignite hours or even days later. Why don’t EV battery packs have a built-in fire extinguisher? When the packs overheat, something could melt and release a chemical to stop the reaction. Wouldn’t that be possible to design?
As an electric vehicle owner, I understand the concern about EV fires. While it may appear sensible to include fire extinguishers in the battery packs, there are complexity and safety concerns to consider. Manufacturers prioritize fire prevention with refined battery designs and thermal management technologies. Including a chemical extinguishing device inside the pack may pose new concerns. EV design requires a precise balance between safety and practicality.
Why? Probably because of weight.
Interestingly, the upcoming Renault Megan E-Tech will let firefighters plug in their hoses to douse the battery in case of a fire or crash.
Yeah, adding fire suppression gear to EVs just adds weight, cost, and complexity without much benefit, even though putting out a battery fire is super tough. People freak out over EV fires, but they’re way rarer than gas car fires. It’s blown out of proportion. But hey, EV batteries are getting safer anyway. Solid state batteries are totally safe, and those LFP batteries are way safer too.