The Assessment of Electric Vehicle Fire Risk Using the Failure Tree Analysis

Year : 2025 | Volume : 12 | Issue : 02 | Page : 27 38
    By

    Gharat Aryan Prashant,

  • Dhruv Singh,

  • Ankush Singh,

  • Aryan Vyas,

  • Anuj Meena,

  • Pravin Tathod,

Abstract

With the global shift toward sustainable transportation, the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is rapidly becoming a reality, largely driven by growing environmental awareness and concerns over climate change. However, alongside this transition comes a set of emerging challenges, most notably, the increasing incidence of EV-related fire hazards, which have attracted significant public and media scrutiny. This situation highlights the urgent need for a detailed and systematic approach to assessing and managing fire risks associated with electric vehicles. In this study, five primary factors contributing to EV fire incidents were identified: human-related errors, vehicle design and component issues, operational and organizational shortcomings, environmental influences, and unidentified or unexplained causes. A weighted average technique was utilized to estimate the yearly incidence of electric vehicle fires across different countries. The analysis yielded an average annual EV fire occurrence rate of 2.44×10⁻⁴ fires per registered electric vehicle, offering a meaningful risk benchmark for industry and regulatory bodies. As the electric vehicle market continues to expand, this research highlights the importance of data-informed approaches for assessing fire risks and developing preventive strategies. It also emphasizes the need for agile and informed response plans, especially for emergency services and first responders facing the unique challenges of EV-related fire incidents. Ultimately, the findings of this study contribute significantly to the broader understanding of electric vehicle safety and lay the groundwork for enhanced policy development and future technological safeguards.

Keywords: Electric vehicles (EVs), fire risk, risk assessment, EV safety, fire hazards, sustainable transportation, emergency response, component failure, statistical analysis, preventive strategies

[This article belongs to Journal of Industrial Safety Engineering ]

How to cite this article:
Gharat Aryan Prashant, Dhruv Singh, Ankush Singh, Aryan Vyas, Anuj Meena, Pravin Tathod. The Assessment of Electric Vehicle Fire Risk Using the Failure Tree Analysis. Journal of Industrial Safety Engineering. 2025; 12(02):27-38.
How to cite this URL:
Gharat Aryan Prashant, Dhruv Singh, Ankush Singh, Aryan Vyas, Anuj Meena, Pravin Tathod. The Assessment of Electric Vehicle Fire Risk Using the Failure Tree Analysis. Journal of Industrial Safety Engineering. 2025; 12(02):27-38. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/joise/article=2025/view=232944


References

  1. Meng Luhan. Research and analysis of electric vehicle fire accidents and review of lithium-ion battery thermal runaway mechanism. International Journal of New Developments in Engineering and Society (IJNDES). 2022; 6(2): 6–14.
  2. Mohamed CH, Gerutu GB, Chombo PV. Risk assessment for battery electric vehicles’ occupants during fire accident. J Logist Manag Eng Sci. 2021;3(2):1–10.
  3. Alanazi F. Electric vehicles: Benefits, challenges, and potential solutions for widespread adaptation. Appl Sci. 2023;13(10):6016. doi:10.3390/app13106016.
  4. Mohd Tohir MZ, Martín-Gómez C. Electric vehicle fire risk assessment framework using Fault Tree Analysis. Open Res Eur. 2023 Oct 18; 3: 178.
  5. Zhang Xingping, Liang Yanni, Yu Enhai, Rao Rao, Xie Jian. Review of electric vehicle policies in China: Content summary and effect analysis. Renew Sustain Energy Rev. 2017; 70: 698–714.
  6. Christensen Paul A, Anderson Paul A, Harper Gavin DJ, Lambert Simon M, Mrozik Wojciech, Rajaeifar Mohammad Ali, Wise Malcolm S, Heidrich Oliver. Risk management over the life cycle of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. Elsevier: Renew Sustain Energy Rev. 2021; 148:
  7. Diaz Laura K, Xuanze He, Zhenwen Hu, Francesco Restuccia, Monica Marinescu, Jorge Varela Barreras. Meta-Review of Fire Safety of Lithium-Ion Batteries: Industry Challenges and Research Contributions. J Electrochem Soc. 2020 Aug; 167(9): 090559.
  8. Kirkels AF, Bleker J, Romijn HA. Ready for the Road? A Socio-Technical Investigation of Fire Safety Improvement Options for Lithium-Ion Traction Batteries. Energies. 2022; 15(9): 3323.
  9. Zermane A, Mohd Tohir MZ, Baharudin MR, Yusoff HM. Risk assessment of fatal accidents due to work at heights activities using fault tree analysis: case study in Malaysia. Saf Sci. 2022;151:105724. doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2022.105724.
  10. Feng X, Ouyang M, Liu X, Lu L, Xia Y, He X. Thermal runaway mechanism of lithium-ion battery for electric vehicles: A review. Energy Storage Mater. 2018; 10: 246–67.
  11. Offer GJ. Automated vehicles and electrification of transport. Energy Environ Sci. 2015; 8(1): 26–30.
  12. Capuder T, Sprˇci´c DM, Zoriˇci´c D, Pandži´c H. Review of challenges and assessment of electric vehicles integration policy goals: Integrated risk analysis approach. Int J Electr Power Energy Syst. 2020; 119: 105894.
  13. Ouyang D, Chen M, Huang Q, Weng J, Wang Z, Wang J. A Review on the thermal hazards of the lithium-ion battery and the corresponding countermeasures. Appl Sci. 2019; 9(12): 2483.

Regular Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 12
Issue 02
Received 23/04/2025
Accepted 30/04/2025
Published 05/05/2025
Publication Time 12 Days


Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics