EPISODE · Jul 16, 2026 · 25 MIN
EV Fires: a Storm in a Teacup
from BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show · host The Motoring Historian
Motoring Historian Jon Summers examines claims that electric vehicles frequently catch fire, drawing on a Society of Automotive Engineers talk in Palo Alto by Dr. Abid Kemal of Exponent, a firm known for major failure investigations. He says vehicle fires have halved since 1980 and usually involve 10–20-year-old cars, while EVs appear 5–10 times less likely to burn than ICE vehicles, though their fires can occur later—on tow trucks or weeks in yards—because stranded battery energy remains after a crash. He explains thermal runaway: a weak cell heats from charge cycles, damages neighbors, melts plastics, boils electrolyte, generates oxygen, and can ignite in milliseconds, with severity influenced by state of charge. Examples include the 2021 Chevy Bolt battery recall and GM’s 80% charge limit, shipping policies under 50% charge, and the need for firefighter and tow-industry training. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00 EV Fire Panic 02:36 Conspiracy Claims 04:22 What The Data Says 05:07 Why EV Fires Differ 07:41 Who Is Exponent? 08:24 A Quick EV History 11:53 Inside Battery Packs 14:49 Thermal Runaway Explained 19:53 Charge Level Risks 22:39 Recalls And Real Cases 23:37 Final Takeaways ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: Visit Our Website Become a VIP at: Patreon Online Magazine: Gran Touring Follow us on Social: Instagram Jon Summers is the Motoring Historian. He was a company car thrashing technology sales rep that turned into a fairly inept sports bike rider. On his show he gets together with various co-hosts to talk about new and old cars, driving, motorbikes, motor racing, motoring travel. Copyright Jon Summers, The Motoring Historian. This content is also available via jonsummers.net. This episode is part of the Motoring Podcast Network and has been republished with permission.
Embed this episode
What this episode covers
Motoring Historian Jon Summers examines claims that electric vehicles frequently catch fire, drawing on a Society of Automotive Engineers talk in Palo Alto by Dr. Abid Kemal of Exponent, a firm known for major failure investigations. He says vehicle fires have halved since 1980 and usually involve 10–20-year-old cars, while EVs appear 5–10 times less likely to burn than ICE vehicles, though their fires can occur later—on tow trucks or weeks in yards—because stranded battery energy remains after a crash. He explains thermal runaway: a weak cell heats from charge cycles, damages neighbors, melts plastics, boils electrolyte, generates oxygen, and can ignite in milliseconds, with severity influenced by state of charge. Examples include the 2021 Chevy Bolt battery recall and GM’s 80% charge limit, shipping policies under 50% charge, and the need for firefighter and tow-industry training.
Ready to play
EV Fires: a Storm in a Teacup
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.