Remember the same doom and gloom merchants were banging on about the horrors of mobile phones exploding? You have much m8re chance of seeing an ICE car or lorry or bus catch fire than BEVs
Wasn’t that around 2014 when Iphones were overheating and exploding apple had to recall some. Then there were phones overheating!
All batteries have the potential to explode if the circumstances are right, based on their chemistry. Its just Lithium especially chemistry’s like NMC are at a far greater risk than LFP batteries. Good battery management is key as is not rapid charging when batteries are cold, unless the battery has the facility to precondition prior to charging.
Thermal runaway is a process that is accelerated by increased temperature, in turn releasing energy that further increases temperature. Thermal runaway occurs in situations where an increase in temperature changes the conditions in a way that causes a further increase in temperature, often leading to a destructive result. It is a kind of uncontrolled positive feedback.
Thermal runaway, isn’t specific to EV batteries, rather they fall within a catorgory, for example it can happen in a number of scenarios where the above conditions are met – In chemistry and chemical engineering, thermal runaway is associated with strongly exothermic reactions, accelerated by temperature rise. In electrical engineering, thermal runaway is most associated with increased current flow and power dissipation. Thermal runaway can even occur in civil engineering, such as when the heat released by large amounts of concrete curing is not controlled. Even the stars in the Sky, it is possible to get runaway nuclear fusion as seen in the Nova and super Nova.
All it needs is the right conditions to be met, no different to flamable liquids under the right conditions will go boom!