Low risk of fire in electric cars

The Norwegian Electric Car Association believes Gjensidige creates the false impression that electric cars are unsafe fire bombs following the fierce fire in a car park at Sola.

– Electric cars do not erupt into fire more often than petrol and diesel cars. Rather to the contrary, Sigurd Folgerø Dalen, acting information officer in the Oslo Fire and Rescue Service, tells Teknisk Ukeblad.

If the battery of an electric car catches fire, it is difficult to switch off. But it takes a lot before a battery will catch fire, according to Dalen.

On Tuesday, a fierce fire broke out in a parking garage at Stavanger Airport. Between 200 and 300 cars are estimated to be fire damaged. Several media outlets reported that the fire started in an electric car, but this was later rebuffed. The fire started in an older diesel car, a 2005 Opel Zafira.

Bjarne Aani Rysstad, communications manager at the insurance company Gjensidige, is among those who have expressed concern especially about fire in electric cars in parking garages. He says that the batteries in electric cars pose the greatest risk of fire when things go wrong, even though the fire danger in isolation is not higher than in other cars.

The Norwegian Electric Car Association believes that it is unfortunate that Gjensidige creates the impression that electric cars are unsafe fire bombs.

– Of course one should fear a fire in a parking garage. But that fear should apply to all cars – since all cars can burn, says Secretary General Christina Bu.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today