A vehicle fire is an undesired conflagration involving a motor vehicle. Also termed car fire, it is one of the most common causes of fire-related property damage.
An SUV on fire in Pasadena, California
A car engine on fire in Vallejo, California
Aftermath of a car fire in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Cars destroyed by arson in Hackney, London after the 2011 England riots
Plug-in electric vehicle fire incidents
Numerous plug-in electric vehicle (EV) fire incidents have taken place since the introduction of mass-production plug-in electric vehicles. As a result of these incidents, the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study in 2017 to establish whether lithium-ion batteries in plug-electric vehicles pose an exceptional fire hazard. The research looked at whether the high-voltage batteries can cause fires when they are being charged, and when the vehicles are involved in an accident.Regarding the risk of electrochemical failure, [this] report concludes that the propensity and severity of fires and explosions from the accidental ignition of flammable electrolytic solvents used in Li-ion battery systems are anticipated to be somewhat comparable to or perhaps slightly less than those for gasoline or diesel vehicular fuels. The overall consequences for Li-ion batteries are expected to be less because of the much smaller amounts of flammable solvent released and burning in a catastrophic failure situation.
Frontal crash test of a Volvo C30 Drive Electric to assess the safety of the battery pack
A Zotye M300 EV having its batteries replaced.
The batteries of a Zotye M300 EV being charged before being swapped.
Wear and tear in the battery compartment of a Zotye M300 EV, located in the trunk.