Fire and rescue services in the UK have reported a significant increase in electric vehicle (EV) fires, with incidents nearly doubling in the past year.
That’s according to newly obtained data by Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions which shows that between July 2022 and June 2023, UK fire services recorded 239 fires linked to EVs.
This marks an 83% surge from the 130 incidents reported during the same period the previous year.
The data further reveals that as of June 2023, there has been an average of 20.1 unintended EV fires per month, a 30% increase from the monthly average of 15.5 fires recorded in 2022.
The rapid rise is attributed to the growing presence of EVs on British roads, spanning cars, trucks, e-bikes, and electric scooters.
Sarah Martin, president of Honeywell Sensing and Safety Technologies (SST), commented: “Although we are seeing a striking increase in fires related to EVs, the number is still low in relation to the total EVs in use across the UK, which exceeds 1.1 million.
“However, it does reinforce the need for effective lithium-ion battery safety technology. As more EVs take to the roads across the nation, we must ensure our batteries are as safe as possible.”
