Would Solid-State Batteries Reduce The Risk Of Battery Fires?

There is a phenomenon in journalism often referred to as “man bites dog”, where reports of unusual events feel more likely and common because they are more widely reported, but the reason why they are so widely reported is that they are rare enough to be newsworthy.

This is often a reason why people are worried about plane crashes or EV batteries catching fire, despite the risks of both being extremely low.

Thankfully, changes in raw materials and design could help to eradicate this risk. To understand why, it is important to know why battery fires tend to start.

The vast majority of EV fires are caused by damage to the battery. The most common cause of this is thermal runaway, where intense heat starts a fire that heats up other cells in a battery and causes an intense self-reinforcing fire that can be difficult to put out and can reignite itself.

The main reason for this in typical lithium-ion batteries is the electrolyte, made from solvents that can catch fire and fuel an existing flame. It is this volatility and intense heat that contribute to electric fires, but there are potential alternative methods that will reduce the risk of electric fires.

One of the most interesting and widely explored concepts in recent years is the concept of the solid-state battery.

A solid-state battery replaces the liquid solvent material, which provides and retains charge with a solid electrolyte such as a sulfide, a polymer or a ceramic.

This provides not only greater safety, but also improved performance in a variety of operating temperatures, longer lifespans, and the potential for much higher energy density. Solid-state batteries have been extensively researched as the future of EVs and other electronics.

Their design reduces the risk of short-circuits inside the battery and removes the risk of internal chemical reactions, significantly lowering the risk of electric vehicle fires.

They remain expensive as a technology, so it remains to be seen how widely they will be used and how soon development will ramp up.