sales in 2019, but the market is continuing to gain momentum, especially abroad. "Since this is emerging technology, there's a bit more of a magnifying glass on it."Įlectrified vehicle sales made up less than 5% of U.S. "The reality is if you have a car, whether it is a battery or it is filled with gasoline, there is the possibility of a fire," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at auto information website Inc. They resulted in 560 deaths, 1,500 injuries and $1.9 billion in direct property damage. vehicle fires in 2018, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The study also found that "as battery technology matures, the safety risks may increase as manufacturers attempt to obtain greater performance from existing chemistries and adopt new chemistries with less field experience." electric cars that caught fire, as well.Ī 2017 NHTSA report declared that the "propensity and severity of fires and explosions" in a battery vehicle are expected to be comparable or "perhaps slightly less than" those of a gas- or diesel-powered vehicle. The probe covers more than 77,800 Bolts from the 2017-2020 model years. NHTSA in 2019 launched another investigation that remains open into Tesla Inc. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week also opened an investigation into reports of fires that occurred in the Chevrolet Bolt, currently General Motors Co.'s only all-electric car in the U.S.
"In the grand scheme of things, it won't be slowing things down." "It's one more negative in the column for people who do not want to like battery-electric cars," he continued.