MYTH: Electric vehicles catch fire more frequently than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, making them inherently less safe
Few EV myths receive more media attention than the claim that electric vehicles burn more often, more violently, and more catastrophically than the gasoline cars they are replacing.
Every EV fire is amplified across news cycles, social platforms, and political commentary, while the thousands of ICE vehicle fires that occur every week receive almost no coverage. The result is a deeply entrenched public perception that does not align with the underlying statistics.
MYTH: Electric vehicles catch fire more frequently than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, making them inherently less safe.
FACT: When normalized per 100,000 vehicles in service, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) experience the lowest fire rate of any propulsion type. Gasoline-powered ICE vehicles experience roughly 60 times more fires than BEVs, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs/PHEVs) carry both a fuel system and a high-voltage battery—have the highest fire rate of any category.
The Data
An analysis of incident reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and registration data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) yields the following fire rates, normalized per 100,000 vehicles in U.S. service:
- Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV/PHEV): 3,475 fires per 100,000 vehicles
- Gasoline ICE vehicles: 1,530 fires per 100,000 vehicles
- Battery electric vehicles (BEV): 25 fires per 100,000 vehicles
The conclusion is unambiguous: a BEV is statistically far less likely to catch fire than the gasoline-powered vehicle parked next to it, and a hybrid is statistically more likely to catch fire than either.
Why Hybrids Lead the Statistics
Hybrid vehicles carry the failure modes of both architectures simultaneously. They retain a full gasoline fuel system—tank, pump, lines, and evaporative components—along with all the heat sources of a combustion engine.
They also carry a high-voltage battery pack, power electronics, and a high-voltage cable harness routed in close proximity to fuel and exhaust components. Much of today’s hybrid fleet is also significantly older than the BEV fleet, with first- and second-generation platforms now exceeding 15 years of service.
Aging fuel system components, deteriorated wiring insulation, and end-of-life NiMH packs all contribute to the elevated rate.
Why EV Fires Behave Differently
EV battery fires are not more frequent than gasoline fires, but they are more aggressive. Lithium-Ion thermal runaway releases stored electrochemical energy as heat over a sustained period, while a gasoline fire releases chemical energy through the rapid combustion of a volatile liquid.
A gasoline vehicle fire typically reaches peak heat release within minutes; a battery pack fire can display long burn periods, have areas of latent (heat) that can/will reignite and require extended suppression. This makes EV fires more visually dramatic and more newsworthy—but not more probable.
What Causes EV Fires
The primary causes of EV battery fires are mechanical damage to the pack (high-speed impact, underbody intrusion), internal manufacturing defects in cell separators, external fire propagation from an unrelated source or elevated temperatures during charging.
Charging-related fires are rare and overwhelmingly tied to defective aftermarket EVSE wiring or non-OEM cables rather than to the vehicle itself.
By contrast, ICE vehicle fires originate from a wide and well-documented set of mechanisms: fuel leaks, oil leaks onto hot exhaust components, electrical shorts, catalytic converter overheating, and engine-bay fluid ignition.
Media Coverage vs. Statistical Reality
Novelty bias drives the perception gap. An EV fire remains rare enough to be newsworthy, while gasoline vehicle fires occur roughly every three minutes in the U.S. and are essentially invisible to the public. Until ICE and BEV fires receive proportional coverage—which they do not—public perception will continue to trail the data.
Key Takeaways
- Per 100,000 vehicles in service, BEVs have the lowest fire rate of any propulsion type (25), ICE vehicles are next (1,530), and hybrids the highest (3,475).
- Hybrids carry the failure modes of both ICE and EV architectures and represent an aging fleet, which together explain their elevated rate.
- EV fires behave differently from ICE fires—sustained thermal energy release rather than rapid combustion—but are not more probable.
- Public perception is driven by novelty and media coverage, not by statistical incidence.
- EV Pro+ certified technicians are trained to assess thermal event risk, isolate damaged HV systems, and apply containment and suppression procedures specific to lithium-Ion chemistry.
About Dr. Mark Quarto
As an EVT consultant, engineer, SME, author, and professional educator, Dr. Mark Quarto has supported alliances and customers in the development of electric propulsion and energy management power systems for over 35 years. His specialty is developing diagnostic software and hardware systems, diagnostic information, and pioneering control systems that permit innovative diagnostic techniques, technical training curriculum and diagnostic apps/tool development. He can be reached at 1-586-216-8875 and mark@quartotechservices.com
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