Tesla released its 2021 Impact report recently. In the report, Tesla stated that fire incidents for its vehicles were ~11x lower than the average vehicle in the United States.
“When the media reports a story about a vehicle fire, it is usually reporting on an EV fire. This is likely a result of chasing clicks, rather than the prevalence of EV-related fires compared to ICE vehicle-related fires. The reality is, when compared to Tesla vehicles, ICE vehicles catch fire at a vastly higher rate. According to the latest available data, in 2020, there were almost 173,000 vehicle fires in the U.S. alone,” stated Tesla in the report.
Tesla reported that approximately five Tesla vehicle fires occurred every billion miles traveled between 2012 to 2021. Tesla stated that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation reported 53 vehicle fires for every billion miles traveled in the United States.
According to the NFPA’s Fire Loss in the U.S. During 2020 report, released in September 2021, vehicle fires accounted for 15% of fires in 2020, 18% of civilian deaths, and 11% of civilian injuries. It reported 209,500 vehicle fires in 2020 out of 1,388,500 fire incidents.
Tesla stated that it continues to improve its battery chemistry, cell structure, and battery pack structure to decrease fire risks. It partnered with the European and Australian NCAPs to provide first responders with online information for emergencies.
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