What Happens to Electric Car Batteries In a Crash?

Electric vehicles are increasingly popular and marketed as environmentally friendly alternatives to cars that use fossil fuels, but haven’t we all heard that lithium-ion batteries can explode, and that lithium-ion battery fires are difficult to extinguish? Car accidents are frightening enough, but what happens to an electric vehicle’s battery in a collision, rollover, or other accident?

How Common are EV Battery Fires?

According to Tesla data, their vehicle battery-fire rates are about five battery fires per every billion miles driven. This statistic compares favorably to gasoline engines which experience about 55 fires for every billion miles driven. Studies show 375 verified electric car battery fires between 2010 and 2023, classifying electric car battery fires as “very rare.” However, the report also warns that accident victims and first responders face new risks and challenges in an EV battery fire. EV battery fires included:

• Jet-like flames (95%)
• Vapor-cloud explosions (5%)

Batteries store energy, making them a risk during an accident, even though studies indicate a reduced risk to vehicle occupants compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, the same studies also show an increased risk to those outside of the vehicle during an accident, including first responders. It’s important to gain a more complete understanding of electric vehicle batteries in crash situations so emergency responders are prepared and injury victims can protect themselves at the accident scene and determine liability later.

It’s also important to note that after an EV crashes, there’s a chance of battery debris that can scatter an area. An example of this is an EV crash that happened in June 2024 where a Tesla crashed into a tree, and then battery debris went everywhere on the road. It was a significant environmental hazard, being a danger for the first-responders at the scene.

Based on this example, it’s important to note that EV crashes can present their own risks to the public, and that drivers need to be careful on where they’re driving.

What Are the Risks of an Electrical Car Battery in an Accident?

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported an investigation of three accidents involving electric vehicles that resulted in battery fires after the crash as well as one non-crash fire involving an electric vehicle. This study showed risks to crash victims and emergency responders due to the high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. The EV fires required approximately 30,000 gallons of water and around four hours to extinguish, compared to 1,000 gallons of water and only half an hour to put out a gasoline vehicle fire after a crash.

The risks involved in electrical batteries in a car accident include:

• The risks of burns and smoke inhalation to motorists in an accident
• The risk of extended-length fires with safety hazards to first responders
• The risk of chemical exposure to accident victims and first responders
• The risk of electricution from high-voltage batteries exposed during an accident

Batteries broken during a crash may leak, extending the intensity, area, and duration of battery fires.

Are There Safety Features in EV Batteries That Prevent Battery Fires?

Considering the electric car batteries are very rare, there’s a number of safety features in these batteries that aim to prevent fires, including:

• Thermal Management Systems: Liquid or air cooling systems that are implemented to regulate battery temperature, helping to maintain the batteries and prevent fires.
• Battery Management Systems (BMS): These systems detect if there are is anything that is abnormal about an EV battery. The BMS can reduce charging rates to prevent an EV battery from catching fire, whether it be from an accident or otherwise.
• Fire Resistant Materials: Specific components of a battery that is implemented to prevent any fire from happening. These include aerogels, coatings, and fire-resistant battery compartments to prevent any unexpected EV fires.

With these features to keep in mind, these can reduce the occurrences of EV fires ever happening on the road again.

EV Regulations

As there is now a higher usage of electric vehicles on the road, there has been a number of regulations that are starting to impact the production of EV batteries.

A major regulation that

What Happens If A Battery Is Defective

If you are currently experiencing issues with a defective battery in your EV, it’s important to contact your mechanic as soon as possible. Chances are, your battery will likely be covered under warranty if it is still having issues for any reason.

For example, Tesla has a warranty which is 8 years or 150,000 miles driven, so whichever comes first. With a warranty, you can bring in an EV battery anytime if you’re experiencing any product defects, and typically, a new Tesla battery is covered by warranty if there’s any defects that occur.

When the situation arises where a driver crashes into your vehicle, and your battery explodes or catches on fire, that could be a claim that you could bring against an EV manufacturer with the help of an attorney on your side who specializes in handling these types of EV battery accident cases.

What To Do After an Electrical Vehicle Fire

After any accident, it’s important to move to a safe location away from the vehicle as soon as it’s safe to move. Electric vehicles have safety procedures indicated in their manuals. Owners of EVs should familiarize themselves with these procedures before driving their vehicles.

Electric vehicles have failsafe features that automatically disconnect the battery immediately after a collision. This feature helps to mitigate the risk of fire but may also make it impossible to move the vehicle to a safer location.

After a collision, use your phone to report the accident and inform the dispatch officer that the collision involves an electric vehicle so they come prepared for the unique challenges associated with EV fires.

Always take photos of the vehicles in an accident as well as anything relevant to the cause of the accident. Then seek medical treatment directly from the accident scene.

Contact Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers Today If You’ve Been In An Electric Vehicle Crash

If you have been in a car accident with a rental vehicle, contact the Kent, WA car accident attorneys at Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers today to set up a free consultation. We will ensure that your rights are protected to get the maximum compensation that you deserve.