[Exclusive] Electric Vehicle Fire Risk in US, China, Norway, and Others Lower Than Internal Combustion Engine Cars

US Insurance Companies Fuel Type Investigation
2.51 Cases vs 153 Cases per 10,000 Vehicles
China: 10.96 Cases vs 1.5 Cases
Domestic: 1.32 Cases of Fire per 10,000 Vehicles

The number and rate of electric vehicle (EV) fires in major countries around the world were found to be significantly lower than those of internal combustion engine vehicles. Experts emphasize that there is no need to excessively fear EVs, as various measures such as the advancement of Battery Management Systems (BMS) and strengthening of firefighting equipment are being implemented.

According to an analysis by the Korea Battery Industry Association on the 4th of government announcements and media reports from major countries including the United States, China, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Australia, the fire incidence rate of EVs was clearly lower than that of internal combustion engine vehicles.

Auto Insurance EZ, a U.S. insurance company, calculated the fire rate by fuel type in 2022 based on data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and vehicle sales information provided by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The results showed that EVs experienced 2.51 fires per 10,000 vehicles, whereas internal combustion engine vehicles had 153 fires per 10,000 vehicles.

China, the country with the largest EV market, showed a higher EV fire rate, but the ratio has been gradually decreasing. According to China CCTV, the fire rate of new energy vehicles in China dropped from 1.85 fires per 10,000 vehicles in 2021 to 0.96 fires per 10,000 vehicles in 2023. In just three years, this rate became lower than the internal combustion engine vehicle fire rate in China, which was 1.5 fires per 10,000 vehicles.

In Norway, where the EV sales share is high, the number of EV fires was found to be low. According to local media reports, 29 EV fire incidents were reported to the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) in 2021, which was significantly fewer than the 689 fire reports for passenger cars equipped with diesel and gasoline engines. Norway has the highest EV sales share globally, with EVs accounting for 65% of new car sales as early as 2021.

In Sweden, there were 3,429 vehicle fires in 2022, of which only 14 involved EVs, accounting for just 0.041% of the total. Over 90% of vehicle fires in Sweden occurred in internal combustion engine vehicles. In Finland, as of 2019, among 4,661 EVs in use (excluding plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and hybrids (HEV)), only one fire was reported. This equates to 2.1 fires per 10,000 vehicles. In contrast, 1,717 fires occurred among 3,153,035 internal combustion engine vehicles.

In Australia, no EV fires were recorded from 2011 to 2019. In 2020, when the EV population was 23,000, there was one EV fire, and in 2021, with 43,800 EVs, only one fire was reported.

Domestically, the EV fire rate was also found to be low. As of 2023, among 543,900 registered EVs in South Korea, 72 fire incidents occurred, which corresponds to 1.32 fires per 10,000 vehicles. In contrast, among 25,949,201 registered vehicles other than EVs, 4,724 fires were reported, resulting in a fire rate of 1.82 per 10,000 vehicles.

Park Tae-sung, Vice Chairman of the Korea Battery Industry Association, stated, "Unwarranted fear of EV fires should be avoided. By advancing BMS to enhance safety and establishing firefighting measures suitable for EVs in places like underground parking lots, we can overcome EV phobia."