Tesla spontaneously combusts, battery management system failure may be the direct cause

A news report about Tesla's suspected spontaneous combustion has attracted attention and once again triggered public discussion on the safety of electric vehicles. On the evening of April 21, a fire broke out in the underground garage of a residential area in Xuhui, Shanghai. A Tesla Model S car was parked in a stationary state and smoke was coming out of the chassis. The smoke spread rapidly within 6 seconds and visible flames sprang out. The fire spread to an Audi and Lexus sedan parked nearby. According to the news issued by the fire department, the Tesla was severely burned, and the other two cars were burned to varying degrees. No one was injured. In fact, this is not the first time that an electric car has caught fire. Looking around the world, Tesla Model S has had nearly 50 combustion or explosion accidents since it was launched in 2012, many of which have been disclosed by the media many times. On March 26 this year, a Tesla Model S spontaneously combusted in an underground parking lot in a residential area in Guangzhou; in early 2018, a Tesla Model S also caught fire in the underground parking garage of a residential area in Chongqing. Coincidentally, domestic electric car manufacturer Weilai also posted a Weibo on April 22 that an ES8 under repair in Xi'an caught fire that afternoon. There is no doubt that the spontaneous combustion accident has cast a shadow on the new energy vehicle industry, which is known for its high technology. In this regard, the reporter interviewed an expert in the field of electric vehicle battery research at a university. After watching the suspected spontaneous combustion video circulating on the Internet, his first reaction was "the battery is on fire." The expert said that because the vehicle is stationary, it is very likely that the battery system fails and causes the fire. "The battery may age due to long-term use, and an internal short circuit occurs during the aging process. In this case, the battery will gradually heat up, and when it exceeds a certain temperature range, the battery may catch fire." The expert pointed out, "It may also be due to the failure of the battery management controller, causing the battery to continue to discharge and cause the battery to fail." What are the causes of battery failure or even spontaneous combustion? The expert cited two examples. One is that during the use of the vehicle, due to the poor control of the charging and discharging power or problems with the thermal management system, the local temperature of the battery rises too fast, which will lead to safety problems; the other situation occurs during the battery charging process. If the battery is overcharged, it may also cause the battery to fail, which also poses a safety risk. Previously, a media interview learned that the owner had completed super fast charging before the fire. The expert believes that this could be the cause of the spontaneous combustion. "Supercharging means that the current is relatively large. One of the 1.5v Dry Battery may be severely aged. Fast charging causes the local temperature to rise. This battery may enter an unsafe state and produce a chain reaction. The battery continues to release heat, the temperature continues to rise, and a fire is caused." "If a lithium battery catches fire, the fire will develop extremely quickly and it is difficult for an individual to extinguish it." The expert suggested that if citizens encounter similar situations, they should evacuate to a safe area as soon as possible and call the police.

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