International Union of Marine Insurance rates electric vehicles no more prone to fires than internal combustion (ICEV) ones during shipping. Although the situation should be better if the battery industry finds ways avoid lithium-ion batteries overheating. However, ship owners could still be wise to respond to the EV car fire risk, by upgrading fire detection and suppression systems.
EV Car Fire Risk No More Dangerous
The International Union of Marine Insurance recommends the following broad approach in their report dated August 14, 2023:
- Identify risks associated with new energy vehicles such as EVs.
- Understand these risks and implement measures to mitigate them.
- Engage with regulators, and develop rules, standards and guidelines.
These measures have become necessary as a result of fires on car ferries. These are proving challenging to extinguish using traditional methods, making the EV car fire risk an ongoing concern.
The marine insurance union has been aware of this situation for a while, although it believes “no fire onboard a ride-on-ride-off or pure-car-transport-carrier vessel had been proven to have been caused by a factory-new EV”. But it brought the issue into sharper focus after the Fremantle Highway fire that resulted in the loss of a seafarer’s life.
Dangers of Thermal Runaway a Major Issue
The International Union of Marine Insurance report states “the battery itself is only a minor source of the fire load”. This is because “the majority of the fire energy comes from plastics and other materials found equally in EVs and ICEVs”.
However, it notes – and this is the main takeaway from their report, “Exposing batteries to fire could cause thermal runaway – where the lithium-ion cell enters a self-heating, reigniting state.
“This requires different fire detection and response. If thermal runaway occurs in an EV, boundary cooling is essential to prevent the fire from spreading. This allows the battery to burn down in a controlled manner.”
More Information
Fremantle Highway Car Carrier Fire
Electric Vehicle Cargo Ablaze on Ship at Sea
Preview Image: Fire on Fremantle Highway
