Can Electric Cars Catch Fire During a Storm?
Cooling systems
Many EVs also incorporate liquid-cooling or similar systems designed to keep the battery temperature stable. An old-school gas engine might suffer overheating when pushed too hard, but this is an area that EVs actually have an advantage: cooling is an inherent part of the design that involves the battery.
Fire risk: gas vs electric
When people hear “lithium battery,” they tend to think “fire hazard.” But really, if we are being honest, gasoline is far more flammable than sealed EV battery packs. Studies show that EVs are not more likely to catch fire than gas vehicles, and in some cases, that they are less likely to. Both types of vehicles can still present fire risk factors in extreme conditions, but EVs are not inherently cursed because they use batteries.
What about floods?
Now we are getting into tricky territory. Normal rain? Sure, no problem. Small puddles? Great, no worries. But deep water is something altogether different, for any vehicle. If an EV enters a flooded street, even a small amount of water could still short sensitive components and/or damage components. Gas vehicles don’t respond well to floods, either. Gas engines can choke, and vehicle electronics can fry. The rule of thumb is the same: refrain from entering large amounts of water, ideally, and park your car on higher ground if you know that heavy storms are coming.
