Explainer | How do electric vehicle batteries work, and why do they sometimes catch fire?
- The electrolyte used in today’s Li-ion batteries is volatile and flammable at high temperatures
- A number of carmakers, including Toyota, are researching the use of solid-state electrolytes instead of liquid ones
Lithium-ion batteries, whether they are used in cars or electronic devices, can catch fire if they have been improperly manufactured or damaged, or if the software that operates the battery is not designed correctly.
What are electric vehicle batteries?
Nearly all electric vehicles (EVs) currently on roads worldwide use lithium-ion, or Li-ion, batteries, for their high capacity and efficiency properties.
A Li-ion battery’s capacity and voltage is determined by the lithium-based metal used for its positive electrode, which releases electrons, and so the battery is usually named for its components.
There are three major types of Li-ion batteries used to power the world’s bestselling electric cars: NCM, in which the cathode is composed of lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese; LFP, made up of lithium, iron and phosphate; and NCA, containing nickel, cobalt and aluminium.