WASHINGTON, DC - Show attendees examine the battery compartment of a 2019 Chevy Bolt electric vehicle on display at the Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 5, 2019 in Washington, DC.
(Photo : Alex Edelman/Getty Images)
A study from AutoInsuranceEZ claims that electric vehicles in the United States light on fire at a much lower rate compared to hybrids and cars with internal combustion engines. Analysts from that auto insurance company examined data from the National Transportation Safety Board to track the number of vehicle fires and compared that figure to sales data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Based on their collated data, hybrid-powered vehicles were involved in about 3,475 fires per every 100,000 units sold. Gasoline-powered cars saw 1,530 fires per 100,000 vehicles sold, while EVs only recorded 25 fires out of every 100,000 sold. According to the study, these figures are for the entire year of 2021.
The results are surprising considering the bad rep electric vehicles receive regarding their fire risks. GM's Chevy Bolt grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons last year after one of its units burst into flames while sitting in a home's garage, resulting in a major fire.
Gas-powered cars still record the most number of fires
However, it is important to emphasize that given the lower number of hybrid cars on American roads, the number of most fires in total still goes to vehicles with internal combustion engines. The study, which cites the NTSB and NHTSA, shows 199,533 fires in gas-powered cars last year. Hybrid cars recorded 16,051 fires in total, while fully-electric vehicles accounted for 52 fires.
The study also looked at the number of cars recalled for fire risk in the United States in 2020. The most significant number again belonged to cars with internal combustion engines, with 1,085,800 units recalled. At least 152,000 fully-electric cars were recalled that year because of fire risk, while hybrids came in third, with automakers recalling 32,100 such vehicles in 2020.
Given GM's decision to recall the Chevy Bolt because of its fire incidents last year, the number of recalls for fully-electric vehicles is expected to rise sharply in 2021. The fire risk recalls for both hybrids and EVs trace back to their batteries.
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Hybrids producing more instances of actual fires is surprising
Surprisingly enough, hybrids produced more actual fires than electric vehicles. Fire risks among cars with internal combustion engines were mostly related to electrical shorts in the car.
This study is a big help for consumers hesitating to buy fully-electric vehicles because of the news they have heard regarding its fire risks. EVs are all the rage right now, and they will be scrutinized more than their counterparts that still rely on combustion.
According to Cox Automotive, Tesla reigned supreme in the United States in luxury car sales last year, defeating BMW after a strong December showing. They did not only dominate the EV market, but Tesla also outsold Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz in the overall luxury market in the United States.
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