The easiest ways to reduce your risk of an electric car battery fire

Despite the fact they are relatively rare, electric car battery fires remain a hot-button topic as EV sales continue to rise in Australia.

Since 2010, there have been just over 500 verified electric car battery fires around the world, compared to 2803 internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle fires in New South Wales alone in the 2022–23 financial year. 

"To date, FRNSW has only recorded two incidents relating to EVs in 2024," a Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson told Drive.

Still, household fires from lithium-ion batteries in general are on the rise, with 341 battery-related fires occurring in NSW from June 2023–24, resulting in 35 people being injured. 

While an electric car has a far lower risk of catching fire than an ICE vehicle, the severity of an electric car fire makes it harder for first responders to extinguish, with the potential for toxic gases to spread and the risk of reignition at a later time.

“The only safe way to put out an electric car fire at a roadside is to drench it in 40,000 litres of water – triple the amount you’d need for an ICE car,” smash repairer Ben Stone from Sheen Panel Service previously told Drive. 

“And the only safe way to house an EV battery after a fire is to put it in a swimming pool.” 

The main culprit behind electric car battery fires is a phenomenon known as 'thermal runaway'.

According to local safety body EV Fire Safe, thermal runaway occurs "when a battery cell short-circuits and starts to heat up uncontrollably", typically as a result of abuse like "heating, crushing, penetration or overcharge".

This damaged cell can create a domino effect in surrounding cells to the point where the heat generation becomes self-sustaining.

"Initially, heavy metal dust particles from the cathode will present as a dark cloud, which is followed by a white vapour cloud as the gases take with them fine droplets of the solvent," EV Fire Safe explains.

"As oxygen mixes with the vapour cloud and heat continues to build, the battery cell may ignite, causing surrounding cells to do the same."

This is an issue that's not just limited to electric cars, but also to the lithium-ion batteries found in e-scooters, tablets, e-readers, power tools, laptops and other common household appliances.

The problem is the lithium-ion batteries in electric cars are larger and have to withstand a greater rate of charging than those you'd find in household items such as laptops or mobile phones.

“While you normally charge household batteries at a very conservative level, electric car batteries can fast-charge in as little as 20 minutes, which means they tend to heat up," Zoltan Sekula, product stewardship manager at Australian battery recycler EcoCycle, previously told Drive.

"That’s where the challenge comes in – to make things as safe and quick as possible."

Thankfully, electric car batteries are designed with this in mind – and the lithium-ion batteries you’ll find in your EV are far more advanced than the ones you’d find in laptops or mobile phones. 

“A battery management system (BMS) governs the amount of energy put out, and can manage every cell in the pack, from their temperature to the charging process,” CSIRO scientist Adam Best previously told Drive.  

However, if you’re worried, there are some simple, easy and affordable ways to ensure you, your vehicle and your home are not at risk from an electric car battery fire. 

"The main downfall of battery-powered cars is that most people park them in a garage to charge them overnight, but how many people do you know that have smoke alarms in their garage?" Tony Talbot, a fire safety specialist at fire prevention company Brooks Australia, told Drive.

"The only thing that is really necessary is a smoke detector in your garage that's hooked up to your house."

It's not only electric cars that are a risk when it comes to external structures like garages and carports, but the many other lithium-ion battery-powered products people often store alongside them.

"We see multiple fires every year in garages where the extent of the fire could be reduced. Without thinking, people plug their battery-powered electric cars into their garage next to their battery-powered tools and lawnmowers with fuel tanks," Talbot said.

"With a battery, it might smoulder for a while before the actual heat starts. In a garage especially, you might not know there’s a fire or issue in there for 5–10 minutes and it only takes that long for the fire to take hold [and spread to the rest of your house].

Credit: iStock/BrianAJackson

After any collision, impact from road debris, immersion in flood waters or other kinds of damage – no matter how minor – it's best to play it safe.

If you're unsure what to do, Fire and Rescue NSW advises "contacting the sales point, service point or vehicle manufacturer for advice".

"Damaged EV batteries may ignite hours, days, or even weeks after the initial incident," it says.

"Damaged EVs should be kept in an open area at least 15 metres from other vehicles, buildings, and/or other exposures."

Charging a potentially damaged electric car will only make a bad situation worse.

"Do not charge an EV that has been subject to any suspected damage ... unless it has been inspected and cleared by a qualified technician," Fire and Rescue NSW says.

"We've noticed people spend a lot of money on these electric vehicles yet do a budget installation of chargers and [opt for] cheap maintenance," Talbot from Brooks Australia said.

"Technically, every charging product that comes into Australia is meant to have a tick of regulatory approval but a lot of it does not. There’s a lot of cheap stuff that should not make it in but it does."

Always choose home charging infrastructure from established providers and hire a qualified electrician to do the installation.

That little blue 'EV' badge on your number plate isn't just there to show off your EV credentials to your friends.

"These stickers are there specifically to warn emergency responders of the presence of a high-voltage battery," NSW Fire and Rescue explains.

These stickers will aid first responders in managing any fire in the event of an accident, so don't remove them!

"Have a small safety plan for your house," Talbot said.

That means briefing your family and identifying your most feasible exit.

"If a kid sees a fire they’re going to panic, so talk to them about what to do. Also, if you live in an apartment, often one of the main fire exit routes is through the garage, but if you’ve got an EV fire in there that’s gone, so you just need to know what to do."

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and three-year-old son.

Read more about Susannah Guthrie