Grumpy Old Git Posted March 25 Posted March 25 mangening sall We know that Tesla cars and now electric scooters have a tendency to burst into flames but, anyone heard if electric M/Bikes also have this issue? 2 Quote
Simon Davey Posted March 25 Posted March 25 I thought the issue with the scooters was people messing with the batteries? 1 Quote
Fozzie Posted March 25 Posted March 25 16 minutes ago, Grumpy Old Git said: mangening sall We know that Tesla cars and now electric scooters have a tendency to burst into flames but, anyone heard if electric M/Bikes also have this issue? The current data shows Tesla’s (and EV cars generally) burst into flames a lot less than combustion engine cars, though when an EV car catches fire it’s a significantly worse situation. The electric scooters that go pop are usually cheap Chinese made tat, and the biggest issue is there’s no standard charge voltage requirement or any warning on the devices. So people often use the wrong rated charger and it cooks the battery, causing a rupture. They also lack protection so crashes and drops damage the cells. Electric motorbikes using lithium ion batteries will have similar issues although their onboard charge controllers are smarter. Most of these issues will disappear when we get solid state batteries. Drastically reduce weight for the same range too. I work with BESS sites, so had to go through all the regs and latest info. The fire strategy is basically “suppress it for long enough people get clear, after that it’s burning down, sorry”. Oh, and good morning! 2 1 Quote
Grumpy Old Git Posted March 25 Posted March 25 28 minutes ago, Fozzie said: The current data shows Tesla’s (and EV cars generally) burst into flames a lot less than combustion engine cars, though when an EV car catches fire it’s a significantly worse situation. I don't think that is a 'like for like' comparison. For example, there are 4 Tesla's in the area where I live and one caught fire last year (ie. 25%) whereas, there has been no 'normal' or hybrid car fires reported in over 12 months (we have a 'population' of approximately 4,000 cars) so that is 0%. The only way you are going to get 'real' data is to compare ALL instances throughout the world over (for example) the last 12 months. Quote
Fozzie Posted March 25 Posted March 25 1 hour ago, Grumpy Old Git said: I don't think that is a 'like for like' comparison. For example, there are 4 Tesla's in the area where I live and one caught fire last year (ie. 25%) whereas, there has been no 'normal' or hybrid car fires reported in over 12 months (we have a 'population' of approximately 4,000 cars) so that is 0%. The only way you are going to get 'real' data is to compare ALL instances throughout the world over (for example) the last 12 months. The current data bundles all vehicle fires in the UK and breaks them down by technology type. The wider world does their own studies country by country, which are all broadly reporting the same. Will link some popular motoring journalist outlets below, but while the figures vary, it's all currently pointing towards EV fires being rarer than combustion car fires. And the data aligns the different group sizes, as ICE cars outnumber EV cars by a big margin. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/electric-cars/how-much-fire-risk-are-electric-vehicles https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/the-latest-car-fire-statistics/ I'd also be wary of social media as it often demonises EV car fires, a lot of people crying wolf. "My tesla blew up" followed by "John, I live 2 doors down, you drive an old Mitsubishi" This isn't to say I think the statistics are perfect, I just dispute that there's evidence they are dangerous (currently). If I were to offer a sceptical view on the data, it's that EV cars are relatively speaking very new, meaning we don't fully understand the fire risk across their lifespans. The technology has also changed a lot in just the past 10 years, meaning we need a lot of "granularity" in the data to produce the trends. I'm sure someone is looking at it, but it's not currently available. I also turned down the EV company car just to clarify I'm not particularly pro-EV. I believe the technology is safe, but proven practically is a very different conversation 2 Quote
Bender Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Electric e bikes do catch fire and I think have been responsible for deaths due to fire spreading https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/mar/09/unexploded-bombs-call-for-action-after-11-deaths-in-uk-due-to-e-bike-fires Definitely a thing I guess it's where you park and charge it that's the biggest risk. 2 1 Quote
rennie Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Good afternoon I can't afford an EV even if I wanted 1 which I don't think I do! 3 Quote
Bender Posted March 25 Posted March 25 4 hours ago, rennie said: Good afternoon I can't afford an EV even if I wanted 1 which I don't think I do! You can afford one there are some absolute bargains to be had, wanting one is another thing 1 Quote
Simon Davey Posted March 25 Posted March 25 I could really do a large bowl of bread and butter pudding, smothered in custard, right now. I'll have to make do with a bar of chocolate though. 3 Quote
Bender Posted March 25 Posted March 25 39 minutes ago, Simon Davey said: I could really do a large bowl of bread and butter pudding, smothered in custard, right now. I'll have to make do with a bar of chocolate though. I'm a bit full myself 4 Quote
Simon Davey Posted March 26 Posted March 26 Really looking forward to the Christmas music (not) Quote
Grumpy Old Git Posted March 26 Posted March 26 47 minutes ago, Simon Davey said: Really looking forward to the Christmas music (not) Wait till your 'Whammed' 1 Quote
Mawsley Posted March 26 Posted March 26 11 hours ago, Grumpy Old Git said: Nearly Christmas! Mods! Quote
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