Electric vehicles have started becoming the rage and for the right reasons, mostly. EVs are becoming popular because they are said to be more environmentally friendly and are easy to run on the pocket. But recently, many stories have popped up about electric scooters burning in various parts of the country and we’re here to find out the reason for it.
Many experts claim that the real reason electric scooters in India are burning up so frequently is due to lack of proper cooling systems. India is a hot country and while operating, the batteries in an electric vehicle tend to heat up. Appropriate cooling system helps keep the temperature of the batteries low, at an optimum operating temperature.
Experts say that despite the lack of cooling system for these batteries, manufacturers should employ other methods of safety redundancy in battery design through fuses and other such methods to keep a check on battery temperatures.
Battery swapping has also been touted as a gateway to reduce fires in electric vehicles. As batteries are charged outside the vehicle, it will give them ample space and time to cool down before being put in an EV.
Another reason why EVs catch fire is due to the use of unstable materials like cobalt. Many experts have suggested that manufacturers should use more stable compounds like sodium and other such materials in the future. These materials get lower risk in the process of thermal runaway.
Alternatively, electric vehicles also tend to catch fire due to manufacturing defects or via stress on the battery. Excessive vibrations can cause lithium-ion batteries — popular with consumer electronics and EVs — to catch fire. Similarly, an electrical short can also result in the EVs going up in flames.
There are various factors one should keep an eye on to check if their EV may catch fire. The batteries may begin to heat up or swell up due to multiple reasons. You may also notice discolouration, blistering, or damage to the battery. A clear sign that it may burn up is when you notice smoke emitting from the vehicle. EVs tend to catch fire quickly so you need to be quick to get away from the vehicle to save yourself from the flames. Typically, you’ll have a window of around 30-60 seconds before it combusts.
[Featured Image Credit: Ather]
Satvik Khare