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# ‘Naive Is an Understatement’: German Safety Official Tells RT That Risk of Electric Vehicle Fires Is ‘Completely Unaddressed’
- URL: https://goodoil.news/naive-is-an-understatement-german-safety-official-tells-rt-that-risk-of-electric-vehicle-fires-is-completely-unaddressed/
- Published: 2021-10-27T01:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2021-10-26T07:49:46.000Z
- Author: Guest Post
- Tags: General, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-17 01:31

[rt.com](https://www.rt.com/news/538335-germany-electric-vehicle-bus-fires/?ref=goodoil.news)

A series of fires involving electric buses is calling into question Germany’s reliance on these zero-emissions vehicles. “The risk of these fires,” safety regulator Heinrich Duepmann told RT, “is completely unaddressed.”

Europe is experiencing a green transport boom. Sales have quadrupled since 2018, and one in every ten new vehicles sold on the continent is now fully electric, a share that rises to four in ten when hybrid vehicles are taken into account. In Germany, where the Greens are [in talks](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-greens-vote-enter-government-coalition-talks-2021-10-17/?ref=goodoil.news) about joining a coalition government, the number of electric buses [doubled](https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/number-e-buses-german-public-transport-doubled-2020-fuel-cell-falling-behind-report?ref=goodoil.news) last year compared to 2019.

The [switchover](https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/number-e-buses-german-public-transport-doubled-2020-fuel-cell-falling-behind-report?ref=goodoil.news) from diesel to electricity has not been entirely smooth. Three bus depots were gutted by fire this year alone, with the most recent in Stuttgart last month [destroying 25 buses](https://www.rt.com/news/536291-stuttgart-bus-depot-fire/?ref=goodoil.news) and sending a column of smoke towering over the city.

The fires prompted the cities of Munich and Stuttgart to suspend use of these battery-powered buses, and Heinrich Duepmann of Germany’s Electricity Consumer Protection Association told RT that he shares their concerns ??– not just about buses, but electric vehicles in general.

> *“The risk of these fires, including in other locations such as bicycle basements or large apartment blocks, is completely unaddressed,”* he said. *“Also, insurance companies are not yet tackling the issue.”*

The lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles can catch fire if damaged, or in some cases during charging or [spontaneously](https://www.forbes.com/wheels/news/battery-car-fires/?ref=goodoil.news). Lithium burns ferociously on contact with air, and once ablaze, these fires can be extremely difficult to put out. While burning, lithium-ion batteries have been shown to emit toxic quantities of [fluoride gas](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5577247/?ref=goodoil.news).

Aside from the fire risk, Deupmann is also concerned that as private electric vehicles become more popular, the country’s electricity infrastructure is *“completely undeveloped”* to facilitate widespread fast charging.

*“People have been too naive about this,”* he said, adding that *“naive is an understatement.”*

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