Electric vehicle battery safety

Abstract

One of the main contributors to air pollution is road traffic, primarily due to the emission of harmful gases and particles generated by the combustion of fossil fuels. As a professional response to this issue, the development and implementation of electric vehicles, considered an environmentally friendly alternative, is increasingly being promoted. However, despite their growing presence in traffic, certain safety aspects of electric vehicles still remain insufficiently explored. The main challenge associated with these vehicles is the battery, specifically lithium-ion batteries, which are most commonly used in electric vehicles. In addition to their weight and limited capacity, a particularly concerning issue is the risk of fire and the occurrence of thermal runaway within the battery cells, where an uncontrolled heating process takes place. Extinguishing such fires is extremely difficult, as the battery can reignite even after the flames have been suppressed. This paper provides an analysis of the causes leading to fires within electric vehicle batteries. Using previous research studies, the mechanism of fire development is explained — from the initial battery cell damage, the phenomenon of thermal runaway, smoke occurrence, all the way to explosion. The paper also presents both internal and external strategies for improving the safety of electric vehicles, with special emphasis on minimizing human error in order to prevent severe consequences, including battery explosion. To ensure that lithium-ion batteries and their components meet specific safety requirements, numerous safety standards and testing methods have been developed, which are briefly outlined in the paper.