Driving around Wichita, you’ll see the occasional Tesla, electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup or even one of the city’s battery-powered buses quietly cruising around town.

With more electric vehicles have come more worries about what happens if they catch fire. They burn much hotter, emit noxious gases and pose an electrocution risk. 

But the idea that EVs catch fire more often than gas-powered vehicles is a myth. 

“Electric vehicles are new, and there’s all these concerns,” said Dora Gallo, a transportation planner at the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. “It’s more publicized, but nobody reports on a regular (internal combustion engine) vehicle when it catches on fire.”

As transportation experts consider the need for more electric vehicle charging stations, the Wichita Fire Department states it’s found new challenges when fighting EV fires. 

“The thing that we discovered,” Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz said, “lithium-ion fires turn into a hazardous material scene.”

Understanding electric vehicle fires

Lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles can fuel high-temperature fires because of the chemical process that generates energy. When it goes wrong, it can cause thermal runaway, a chain reaction leading to overheating and, sometimes, fires.

Thermal runaway is like a single spark igniting a forest fire. The spark catches a nearby twig on fire, soon engulfing a fallen tree in flames and spreading throughout the forest.

If one part of a battery gets too hot, it causes a chemical reaction that spreads heat to the rest of the battery,  leading to overheating and potentially a fire or explosion.

Davi Soares worked in research and development for a lithium-ion battery manufacturer near Detroit before coming to Wichita State University to investigate new battery materials.

He said he’s not concerned about the safety of EVs. 

“For the EVs that are on the road right now,” Soares said, “the industry is doing a very good job in terms of technology and safety.” 

Still, fires can happen. Many electric vehicle fires occur following collisions, but overcharging or extreme heat can also trigger them.

The sweet spot for EV batteries is around 80 degrees. As temperatures rise, lithium-ion batteries run less efficiently. At 95 degrees, EVs lose about 15% of their range.

Lithium-ion batteries don’t start degrading until they reach around 140 degrees. Electric vehicles, Soares said, have built-in safeguards to prevent them from reaching these highs, even on hot days. Liquid coolant and other mechanisms help keep batteries at safe temperatures, and battery management systems monitor batteries to ensure they work properly and prevent overcharging. 

Gas vehicle fires are more frequent

Gasoline-powered vehicles have been catching on fire since they were invented. It’s even part of how they work. Internal combustion engines rely on tiny explosions to create enough force to move engine parts that turn a drive shaft and then turn a vehicle’s wheels.

Compared to EVs, gas engines are far more likely to catch fire.

An AutoInsuranceEZ study found gasoline-powered vehicles are 61 times more likely to catch fire than electric vehicles. Hybrids had the highest rate of fires, overall. 

Sweden, which has a larger share of EVs, found gasoline engines are about 20 times more likely to catch fire than EVs.

Firefighting challenges

Lithium-ion batteries can burn as hot as 2,700 degrees and release toxic fumes, presenting new challenges for fire departments.

EVs also pose a risk of reignition, even days later. High temperatures can linger after the fire is seemingly extinguished, restarting the chemical reaction or igniting flammable gases emitted by the battery cells.

When firefighters arrive on the scene, Ocadiz said, the first step is to determine the type of fire. That has become more difficult as auto manufacturers produce electric versions of traditional models like the Ford F-150 and Mustang. 

Next, they must find the battery.

“We have to do some research to be able to determine the location of where those batteries are stored,” Ocadiz said. “They could be underneath the passenger seat. They could be inside the firewall.” 

Firefighters don’t have to don hazmat suits, but they do have to put on respirators so they don’t breathe potentially toxic fumes.

Depending on the situation, Ocadiz said, the fire crew might try to move the vehicle to a more open area or immediately start dousing it with water and lots of it. 

Extinguishing an EV fire may require as much as 40,000 gallons of water, a little more than twice the amount in the average swimming pool and about 40 times as much as needed for other automobile fires. 

Some fire departments use specialized equipment for EV fires, such as fire blankets or special extinguishers, to cut down on water use. 

The future of EVs in Wichita

The fire department will likely have to handle more EV fires in the coming years. Tax incentives, longer-range batteries and more charging stations have fueled an increase in electric vehicles.

EV sales rose 60% last year, totaling 1.6 million vehicles in 2023. 

In Kansas, EV sales make up 4% of new vehicle sales, about half the national rate. WAMPO reported about 1,100 EVs in the Wichita region. 

Kansas faces challenges in EV adoption. EV charging stations can be few and far between, especially in rural areas. Many drivers have range anxiety, fearing they won’t have enough charge to get where they’re going.

“We were hearing,” said Gallo, “that if the infrastructure would improve, they would consider purchasing an electric vehicle.”

Another reason for slower adoption in Kansas and other Midwest states is price. Electric vehicles tend to cost more upfront. At the beginning of the year, the average EV buyer paid $55,353, about $8,000 higher than the average for all vehicles.

Federal tax credits of up to $7,500 help lower the cost. However, with many EVs in the luxury category, Kansans may be priced out compared to residents of coastal areas with higher incomes.

Also, gas prices in Kansas are low. As of August, Kansans pay about 30 cents less for a gallon of regular gas than the national average and about $1.50 less per gallon than California drivers. 

Many electric vehicle owners charge their vehicles at home, but EV-friendly states, like California and New York, also have invested in EV infrastructure. Installing a public charging station, Gallo said, can cost a business or local government more than $50,000.

Some of those expenses can be recouped. Evergy offers rebates of up to $65,000 depending on the number and types of charging ports and where it’s located. 

The WAMPO report found the most efficient places for EV charging stations were places where people are already spending time. The organization suggests adding Level 2 chargers, which take between four and 10 hours to fully charge a car, to shopping centers, sports venues and apartment complexes.

This story idea came from notes taken during a meeting of the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Policy Board by Wichita Documenters, a program that pays local residents to attend and cover local meetings. To learn more, visit Wichita Documenters.