Internal combustion engines have been around for more than a century. However, with the recent rise in fuel prices and ever going debate on climate change, IC engine manufacturers have come under tremendous pressure to provide clean and cheaper means of transportation. This has led to sudden rise in the Electric Vehicle (EV) market globally with the advent of new and emerging startups, while the legacy players are also making a switch to electric and hybrid vehicles. In 2021, the global sales of electric vehicles doubled to 6.6 million fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The United States doubled their electric vehicle output to 630,000 while China tripled the sales to 3.3 Million vehicles.
India, which is one of the largest two-wheeler vehicle market in the world, has substantially increased its 2 wheeler electric vehicle output. In 2021, India’s 2-wheeler electric vehicle sales were up by 132% to 234,000 units. The sales were led by Hero Electric, Okinawa, Ather, Ampere and Pure EV. Other players such as Bajaj, Ola and TVS , which are also key players in the market will soon be increasing their output and the competition is about to get heated.
As the competition is rising, so is the race for market dominance. This has led to certain challenges for the EV manufacturers who have been rushing to launch their vehicles to meet the market demand. Recently, several social media post and news article were dominated with the 2-wheeler EVs catching fire. These incidents created a slight dent in the EV sales, for a couple of months, however the trend may not last too long as EVs have a strong value proposition and manufacturers are working hard to ensure safe means of transport for buyers.
So what really caused these fires? Let us some clear some doubts so a buyer can take some informed decisions for your next 2-wheeler EV purchase.
Heat Wave in the Indian Summer?
Popular opinion on social media suggests that EV battery is unable to cope with the rising summer temperatures. The Electrical Vehicle battery comprises lithium-ion or (Li-ion) cells that can withstand a few hundred degrees Celsius before actually catching fire. Experts in the automotive industry suggest, however, that the humid weather conditions and unsatisfactory thermal management systems of the battery can negatively influence the performance and shorten its work expectancy.
Case of ‘Lithium Ion Batteries’?
EVs are designed to provide warning to the user when Li-ion batteries reach the temperatures of around 50 degree Celsius. Therefore, a temperature shock of a few hundred degree celsius that may lead to a fire is close to impossible to reach in a well designed vehicle. The only possibility is that certain circuit or software malfunction may lead to accidents
Poor cell quality and short circuit?
Yes, as per most of the experts, it was concluded that short circuit was one of the major reasons for EV fires. Short circuit leads to rise in the current and hence the temperature of the cells which leads to fire. Short circuit could be attributed to a multiple reason, but it is mostly a combination of poor quality of cells, battery design and the battery management system. High demand for EVs has also led to insufficient quality checks and lack of appropriate certification in some cases all directing to poor quality cells being accepted for manufacturing.
It is possible to improve the safety of Electric Vehicle once the major reason for EV fires is identified. However, designing safe vehicles need a systemic approach in which EV manufacturers, testing agencies and regulators must play a role.
1. Adoption of high-quality materials that do not degrade with just few charging cycles.
2. Design of battery pack for better thermal performance.
3. Battery cells that reach a certain temperature should be recognized by the sensors and provide warning to the driver to take appropriate measures.
4. Use of compatible charging mechanisms
5. Charging mechanisms should have a failsafe method so the charger can communicate that the electric vehicle battery has become too hot due to overcharging.
6. All Electric Vehicles manufacturers should provide test certification to customers. Testing and regulatory agencies must play a pivotal role to ensure that battery components and vehicles meet the stringent requirements laid down by the government.
Guidelines are being developed globally to ensure safe operation of electric vehicles. Goken’s engineering solutions group for the EV and ESS (Energy Storage Systems) industry is working actively with companies to design safe and high-quality vehicles and systems. Goken can play an important role in supporting EV manufacturers with battery and battery pack design, prototyping and certification, contract manufacturing and technical training.