Research shows that electric vehicles are less likely to result in a fire than vehicles that use conventional fuels.

According to researchers at the Swedish research institute RISE, electric vehicles are a lower fire safety risk than conventional transportation.

Similarly, the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection’s (DSB) investigation of car fires in Norway in the period between 2016 and 2019 shows that, adjusting for the number of vehicles, conventional petrol and diesel vehicles result in fires four to five times more often than electric vehicles. Research for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US also concluded that the propensity and severity of fires from electric vehicles are comparable to, or possibly slightly less, than those of gasoline or diesel vehicles. However, electric vehicle fires are different than fires in conventional petrol and diesel vehicles. Electric vehicle fires take more time to ignite after an accident, and can be difficult to extinguish. Therefore, appropriate fire service training to understand and respond to these differences is needed.

References:

Rune Korsvoll, “Brann i Biler Elbiler Brenner Ikke Oftere,” dinside.no, 2020, https://www.dinside.no/motor/elbiler-brenner-ikke-oftere/72229104.

Mark Hovis, “Are EVs More Or Less Likely To Catch Fire Than Combustion Engined Cars?,” 2018, https://insideevs.com/news/341441/are-evs-more-or-less-likely-to-catch-fire-than-combustion-engined-cars/.