Third party test data.

Moving on...

Pity but he'd actually called bull**** from the get-go (his first report).

I am shocked, shocked to hear this.

Meanwhile:

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volvo-cars-recall-40000-electric-suvs-over-battery-fire-risk-2026-02-23/

Dave

Cars catching on fire? Old news.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/377006/nmber-of-us-highway-vehicle-fires/

4 hours ago, Luke said:

Cars catching on fire? Old news.

Does that correlate with the number of Ford Pintos on the road? 😄

Hook

6 hours ago, Luke said:

I am shocked, shocked to hear this.

 

😆 

At least he did say, if it's not solid state, it does seem to be a very good lithium ion battery.

We shall see after further tests..... if they have,  not sure why they would fib and ruin the companies reputation. 

 

6 hours ago, dave2013 said:

Meanwhile:

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volvo-cars-recall-40000-electric-suvs-over-battery-fire-risk-2026-02-23/

Dave

 

Oh hear we go..... 😁

As you know, per capita, hybrid cars catch fire the most, followed by conventional ICE engines, BEV's the least.

Gas cars catch fire 1,530 times out of 100,000 and BEV 25 out of 100,000. Hybrids 3,475 out of 100,000.

The difficulty is putting out the fires. 

Sodium Ion batteries are inherently more fire resistant and safer.

1 hour ago, martin-w said:

The difficulty is putting out the fires. 

I saw a video of an electric bus that had caught fire. It looked like there were three rocket engines in the bus, one pointing to each side and one straight up. It was... scary.

The fire hazard, although the risk is low, is devastating. Putting the fires out, as you mention, is difficult. They usually have to let the vehicles burn. Because of collateral damage, insurance rates go up. Some oceangoing auto transports and even ferries now forbid electric vehicles. Some electric busses were forbidden to park indoors, and the weather was cold enough to keep them from charging.

I saw another video of someone's cell phone catching fire in his pocket. It was pretty violent. This is the only report I've heard of a cell phone catching fire, thank goodness.

The problem, from what I've heard, is the two internal terminals in the batteries grow "whiskers" from charging and when two from the opposite terminals meet, it shorts out creating a fire. Also, any damage to the battery can result in a fire.

Imagine if physics were messed up and one in 100,000 fireworks exploded with the force of an atomic bomb. Or even one in 1,000,000. Every time you lit a fuse there was a tiny chance that your town would disappear from the map. This is super duper exaggerated but illustrates the nature of the problem if not the degree. An electric car fire might only sink a ferry boat, or demolish your house or apartment building, or destroy your ICE car parked next to an EV. The risk is low, but not nonexistent. 

I hope they can find a way to fix this. The future is almost certainly electric, but not any time this week. Diesel will be relegated to less developed areas and certain heavy equipment, and aircraft might never run on anything but burning fuel.

Hook

IBTL?

Shame this battery turned out to be just another lithium ion design.

Edited February 25Feb 25 by stans

1 hour ago, LHookins said:

The fire hazard, although the risk is low, is devastating. Putting the fires out, as you mention, is difficult. They usually have to let the vehicles burn. Because of collateral damage, insurance rates go up. Some oceangoing auto transports and even ferries now forbid electric vehicles. Some electric busses were forbidden to park indoors, and the weather was cold enough to keep them from charging.

 

Depends on the circumstances. Fundamentally they are extremely safe. The main danger is damage to the cell, penetration, extreme heat. Many Tesla's, of course, and other manufacturers, are using LFP batteries that are resistant to fire. The BYD Blade battery for example. I'm sure you've seen the nail penetration test before.

 

1 hour ago, LHookins said:

Some oceangoing auto transports and even ferries now forbid electric vehicles.

 

I've not heard of an outright ban, although you might be right, what I heard was banning charging on board (because that's when fire can start) and limiting the number on board. The UK, and where I live in the Channel Islands, are full of hybrid cars with lithium ion batteries and plenty of full BEV's, so if they imposed restrictions the ferries would be 3/4 empty. 🙂

 

1 hour ago, LHookins said:

Imagine if physics were messed up and one in 100,000 fireworks exploded with the force of an atomic bomb. Or even one in 1,000,000. Every time you lit a fuse there was a tiny chance that your town would disappear from the map. This is super duper exaggerated but illustrates the nature of the problem

 

You bet it's an exaggeration. 😁 Thus, it doesn't at all illustrate the problem. It's one of those things with relatively new tech, it takes a while for the sensible mode to engage. Notice that nobody is complaining about hybrids catching fire, when they contain lithium ion batteries too, and catch fire the most, notice how ferry companies aren't restricting them? 🙂

Hopefully I'll be able to get a car in about 6 months, after six years without one. Won't be a BEV though, as our land lady doesn't want a charger installed, even if we pay for it. So it will have to be hybrid. Hybrid is fine, though, my daughter has a Toyota Yaris  and its great to drive, very smooth, great acceleration and legendary Toyota reliability. Not surprising really, as Toyota were the first to bring out a hybrid (the Prius) so they know what they are doing with hybrids. The new Aygo looks good, small but with the same hybrid transmission as my daughters. Can run a fair way on electric only.

 

 BYD Blade battery below. 

 

 

 

Edited February 25Feb 25 by martin-w

11 minutes ago, stans said:

IBTL?

Shame this battery turned out to be just another lithium ion design.

 

We don't know that for certain, yet. It will need to be dismantled by experts and analyzed. 

On the subject of Toyota's hybrid eCVT transmission, apparently its not really a transmission at all, its a power splitter device. Nothing like a conventional CVT.

There's a video, I'll see if I can find it.

 

Interesting stuff. No belts like in a conventional CVT, planetary gear set instead. And no reverse gear, the polarity of the motor just reverses.

 

Edited February 25Feb 25 by martin-w