Several carmakers have recalled their electric cars as they posed a risk of catching fire unexpectedly while charging inside owner’s garages, reports The Washington Post. It’s a hurdle for a technology that is meant to curb combustion engines from public roadways. Though, to be clear, electric cars are mostly safe and much better for the Earth’s environment.
Charging electric cars parked in personal or public areas occasionally catch fire, even the ones that are full-on charged. Chevrolet had recalled around 60,000 of its Bolt EVs in July. It was the second time a recall has happened, advising the owners that the cars could unexpectedly catch fire.
How big is the problem?
When EVs catch flames, they can be extremely hard to put out. A similar pattern has also been seen with many Tesla crashes in the past. But how widespread is the problem is still unclear. There’s no evidence that EVs catch fire at higher rates than gas-powered vehicles, the report notes.
But there’s a possibility of a potential disaster. After, a battery is one big reservoir of energy ready to be released. In one such incident, a charging Tesla Model S parked inside a garage caught fire and was so intense that it caused a neighboring vehicle to catch flames as well.
“If we had lived upstairs in this house, we’d be dead,” owner Yogi Vindum told the Post. The fire burned so hot, firemen “couldn’t walk up the driveway.”
Innovations in the EV space
Well, these are just a few instances and do not rule out the fact that EVs are very important for the environment. The EV space has seen many innovations of late. A Canadian vehicle and scooter company Daymak, is planning to launch its 2023 Spiritus, a self-driven car designed to mine cryptocurrencies when parked.
Besides, a British designer has developed a new electric car that can clean the polluted air while driving. Thomas Heatherwick, an award-winning architect, was approached by IM Motors, Chinese car manufacture to create the concept car. We might see more such innovations in the coming days.
