Are Hybrids more likely to catch fire

[gh8toes]

Just saw this story from Canton, Michigan. If you watch the video, they have some alarming statistics regarding the likelihood of a hybrid catching fire versus a standard ICE or full EV. Now I wonder if I should mount a fire extinguisher in my truck...???? Maybe Ford should include a fire extinguisher as standard equipment or have some kind of fire suppression system under the hood.

There's nothing left': Man's new Ford hybrid F-150 catches fire, gets engulfed in flames

Fires per 100K vehicles

Also a story on Ford Authority

2023 Ford F-150 Hybrid Quickly Destroys Pickup: Video

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[FaaWrenchBndr]

I call BS.

many people are making assumptions based upon the simple fact, this was a hybrid. Funny how the fire here started in the engine compartment, not at the HV battery.

 

[missileboy]

any vehicle can catch fire, how far back did they go on the data? After all of the electric scooter fires, EV's in China just going up in flames, I find it hard to believe that EV is not as close too or more than Hybrids.

It also says per 100K vehicles, which ones? Are they spread across all manufacturers? What about the batteries? Is there any correlation to a specific battery type/manufacturer that is more likely?

This study leaves a lot out to add credibility to the outcome. Who sponsored/paid for the study? That might tell you more than the data coming out of it. I am always leery to these "studies" as they can be as biased as they can be factual.

 

[Babbage]

No Fire extinguisher can put out a lithium battery fire.

You need an 80x20 blanket that you should get damp first, then smother the fire. Good luck, most FD will just spay water which makes the fire worse.

Also: don't get in an accident while it's raining...

 

[v8440]

When I was in the Navy, they told us class D fires (burning metal) were to be dealt with either of two ways: Cover it with sand or throw it over the side.

 

[wayfarer556]

Just saw this story from Canton, Michigan. If you watch the video, they have some alarming statistics regarding the likelihood of a hybrid catching fire versus a standard ICE or full EV. Now I wonder if I should mount a fire extinguisher in my truck...???? Maybe Ford should include a fire extinguisher as standard equipment or have some kind of fire suppression system under the hood.

There's nothing left': Man's new Ford hybrid F-150 catches fire, gets engulfed in flames

Fires per 100K vehicles

I want to know where that picture of "statistics" that you posted actually came from. Millions of Hybrids have been released of various quality since it's been a thing. Does this include the Nissan Leaf? Chevy Volt? Etc. I assure you that if 3.5% of every Powerboost F-150 was sold since 2021 (which there are tens of thousands on the road today) erupted in flames it would be a scandal for Ford.

 

[gh8toes]

I want to know where that picture of "statistics" that you posted actually came from. Millions of Hybrids have been released of various quality since it's been a thing. Does this include the Nissan Leaf? Chevy Volt? Etc. I assure you that if 3.5% of every Powerboost F-150 was sold since 2021 (which there are tens of thousands on the road today) erupted in flames it would be a scandal for Ford.

It's in the video in the link

 

[HammaMan]

No Fire extinguisher can put out a lithium battery fire.

That's not quite true. Water can extinguish a lithium battery fire, the issue is getting the water on to it. The PB's batt is one of the easier batts to reach if not the easiest.

Remember the fire pyramid, water can act on 2 of its legs, the blanket acts on one. Granted certain electrolytes can provide some oxygen, it's not enough for a proper fire. Technology and knowledge will eventually catch up.

 

[wayfarer556]

It's in the video in the link

The entire underlying study that this news article is based on is super suspect. The study in question is based off this AutoinsuranceEZ blog:
https://www.autoinsuranceez.com/gas-vs-electric-car-fires/

I found this blog's conclusions to be very questionable because they do not link any underlying data that this is based upon, merely linking NTSB studies that do not actually discuss raw numbers regarding car fires.

I found out while figuring out where they got their data from that a little tiny vehicle news magazine called Car and Driver took the same kind of issues that I did and already did all the work trying to figure it out for me:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a40163966/cars-catching-fire-new-york-times-real-statistics/

To try to figure out where these numbers came from, we first contacted the National Transportation Safety Board, purported source for the car-fire statistics. And the NTSB's spokesman told us, "There is no NTSB database that tracks highway vehicle fires. We do not know what data AutoInsuranceEZ used for its research, but it did not come from an NTSB database." They suggested that perhaps the study authors confused the NTSB with NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So we contacted NHTSA.

And guess what? NHTSA doesn't collect fire data in this way, either. NHTSA—which we should call "the NHTSA," but that sounds weird—collects data on crashes but says that only about 5 percent of fires are crash-related. So they rely on other sources for information, like the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Which, in any case, doesn't categorize fires according to the type of vehicle powertrain.

So...don't worry everyone. Your Powerboost does NOT have a 3.5% chance of blowing up lol. Buy with confidence.

 

[Babbage]

When I googled hybrid fire - F150 was #1 result, this was a new 2023 F150 too. This happened yesterday. Gone in 5 minutes.

That's not quite true. Water can extinguish a lithium battery fire, the issue is getting the water on to it. The PB's batt is one of the easier batts to reach if not the easiest.

Remember the fire pyramid, water can act on 2 of its legs, the blanket acts on one. Granted certain electrolytes can provide some oxygen, it's not enough for a proper fire. Technology and knowledge will eventually catch up.

You should post up the correct fire extinguisher for PB's to use. I am not seeing it. Sadly it is the battery that usually starts the fire, spraying it with water makes it burn more (not less)

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/th...ybrid-f-150-catches-fire-gets-engulfed-flames

This happened yesterday.

 

[HammaMan]

When I googled hybrid fire - F150 was #1 result, this was a new 2023 F150 too. This happened yesterday. Gone in 5 minutes.

You should post up the correct fire extinguisher for PB's to use. I am not seeing it. Sadly it is the battery that usually starts the fire, spraying it with water makes it burn more (not less)

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/th...ybrid-f-150-catches-fire-gets-engulfed-flames

This happened yesterday.

The battery is under the bed, not under the hood. The wind and flames indicate the fire is not HVB related. That's a hybrid F150 whose fire is unrelated to the 'hybrid' part of it.

There's been a battery fire or two, no need to misattribute an engine fire

 

[Groovicles]

The entire underlying study that this news article is based on is super suspect. The study in question is based off this AutoinsuranceEZ blog:
https://www.autoinsuranceez.com/gas-vs-electric-car-fires/

I found this blog's conclusions to be very questionable because they do not link any underlying data that this is based upon, merely linking NTSB studies that do not actually discuss raw numbers regarding car fires.

I found out while figuring out where they got their data from that a little tiny vehicle news magazine called Car and Driver took the same kind of issues that I did and already did all the work trying to figure it out for me:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a40163966/cars-catching-fire-new-york-times-real-statistics/



So...don't worry everyone. Your Powerboost does NOT have a 3.5% chance of blowing up lol. Buy with confidence.

Speaking only of my own shit wagon PB; considering the number of issues some of us PB owners have had I am certain I have a greater than 3.5% chance of singing Rocket Man when this thing finally blows up.

 

[mwf5888]

The PowerBoost batter is in a sealed container under the rear seats between the frame rails. The article link states the owner saw smoke and flames under the hood.

 

[wayfarer556]

Speaking only of my own shit wagon PB; considering the number of issues some of us PB owners have had I am certain I have a greater than 3.5% chance of singing Rocket Man when this thing finally blows up.

Please continue to speak for yourself. Plenty of us with PBs love our truck.

And don't worry, there's a far less than a 3.5% chance your truck will literally blow up despite the poorly researched, obviously sensationalist news article you posted suggests.

 

[Groovicles]

Please continue to speak for yourself. Plenty of us with PBs love our truck.

And don't worry, there's a far less than a 3.5% chance your truck will literally blow up despite the poorly researched, obviously sensationalist news article you posted suggests.

Well, as long as you're okay that I speak for myself then I guess I'm good to go. By the way, "the poorly researched, obviously sensationalist news article" was not posted by me. As long as you're okay with me speaking for myself, I would like you to reciprocate and actually pay attention to who is posting what. Thanks bud.

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