Source: The Guardian

Excerpt:

When a fire ripped through a car park at Luton airport last month it set off a round of speculation that an electric vehicle was to blame. The theory was quickly doused by the Bedfordshire fire service, which said the blaze appeared to have started in a diesel car.

Yet the rumour refused to be quelled, spreading on social media like, well, wildfire. Even when these stories are patiently debunked, they come back as zombie myths that refuse to die.

Electric vehicles (EVs) will not deliver the environment from damage but international climate forecasters agree they are a crucial part of the transition from fossil fuels. The Guardian has spoken to experts and looked for hard data where possible to address some of the most common criticisms of electric vehicles.

In a series of articles, we will highlight the myths, the realities, and the grey areas. The first in our series asks: should we be more concerned about fires in electric cars?

There are millions of electric cars on roads around the world, so some data on the prevalence of fires is emerging, albeit in piecemeal fashion. That evidence suggests there is no reason to think that EVs are more likely to go up in flames, several experts have said. Indeed, the opposite appears to be true.

Read more: Do electric cars pose a greater fire risk than petrol or diesel vehicles?