Credit: AJ Gill/ YouTube/ ABC News
Check the video
http://youtu.be/q0kjI08n4fg
Are electric vehicles (EVs) unsafe?
News flash people: all cars are unsafe — driving/riding in a motor vehicle is the most dangerous thing most people do on a regular basis. Very few people reading this have not either been in a motor accident where they were injured, or know someone who has (broken bones, bruises from seat belt in my case).
Do electric cars represent a fire risk?
News flash: all cars represent a fire risk. You can't put 10 gallons of petrol (gasoline) in a vehicle without creating a fire risk.
Do EVs represent a larger fire risk than internal combustion engine (ICE) cars?
News flash: ICE cars catch fire regularly. Over 500 per day on average in USA alone in 2011.
187,000 ICE vehicle fires in the United States in that year represent one fire for every 1,738 ICE. With almost 20,000 Teslas on the road, this fire makes one out of almost 20,000 in the past 12 months. If we include other brands of EV, the stats look even better.
Based on the record to-date, I'll take the electric.
Why don't we hear about all those ICE vehicle fires? Because they are so common. They're not worth reporting. On the other hand, one electric vehicle fire & the news media is abuzz.
Some have expressed concern that the fire wasn't extinguished by water. Hint: don't try water on a petrol or diesel fire either.
Elon Musk defends Model S fire safety
http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahelliott/2013/10/05/elon-musk-responds-to-tesla-s-fire-news-says-it-would-have-been-worse-in-a-regular-car/
Wired — Please calm the hell down
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/10/tesla-model-s-fire/
Nothing new to see here
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/model-s-fire/ / electric vehicle EV battery cell cells LiIon lithium ion charge recharge range petrol diesel petrochemical hydrocarbon fossil fuel BEV petrol gas gasolene gasoline energy density petroleum oil CEO electric car company Tesla battery Model S caught fire impaled metal object pierced penetrated Elon Musk more detail blog post fire Internet sensation unsettled Tesla investors defended the car's battery technology blog post more common conventional gas powered vehicles vehicle consumers concerned about fire risk zero doubt safer power car battery large tank highly flammable liquid curved metal component cause causing Tesla catch fire shape punch punching 3 inch hole armor plate protect protects car's bottom underside company said car properly contained blaze driver able exit highway Seattle suburb Kent flames engulfed front vehicle 194,000 vehicle fires U.S. each year, vast majority cars trucks gasoline diesel engines. Electric vehicles firefighters extinguish fire flames reignited dry chemical extinguisher Tesla shares fell sharply shares recovered loss 5.2 percent still up 400 percent /
