If You're Thinking of Buying an EV
Read this first!
If you already have an EV because of the subsidies or discounts, and don’t have to trade it in, and can get insurance, and can park it a safe distance away, and can charge it overnight or while at work, you’re probably doing OK – especially if it’s a hybrid or if you only have a fairly short commute. This post is for those who have not made a decision yet.
If you have a friend who is thinking of buying an EV, please do them a favor and share this post with them.
I made an audio version, which is better than nothing, but there are several video clips in the text, which are a big part of the story.
More EV fires and 10 other reasons to stay away from battery EVs.
I’ve written several posts about EV fires. One also discussed wind turbine fires.
Thomas Shepstone’s Energy Security and Freedom substack caught my eye on 6/4/25:
It was about a video by MGUY Australia -
“MGUY, in this instructive 6-minute video examines the specific nature of the risk associated with an EV battery fire, and there’s nothing pretty about your car turning into a flamethrower!”
Then, the next day, Thomas published another piece on EV fires:
“Remember the Felicity Ace? It was a car-carrying ship that was transporting 4,000 vehicles, including EVs, that caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean in 2022, burned for nine days, and than eventually sank down to the nether world.”
Update 6/18/25 – Thomas Shepstone’s “Energy Security and Freedom”: “Geoff of Geoff Buys Cars reports on the results of an investigation into what destroyed the Felicity Ace auto carrier and ended in it sinking into the depths of the sea. It was a Porsche Taycan that was, of course, just sitting there inside the big boat…
Then, there was the Fremantle Highway ship. It carried 3,783 vehicles, including nearly 500 EVs, caught fire off the Dutch coast. It, too, burned for days…
“Now, there’s this from CarScoops:
“Cargo Ship Vanished In Smoke With 3,000 Cars And EVs Still Trapped Below Deck
Morning Midas was en route to Mexico with at least 800 electric cars when the fire broke out in the Pacific…
News of another shipping fire reminds us that electric cars sure are combustible. The cargo ship was on its way from Asia to North America when a fire broke out forcing the crew to abandon the vessel in the middle of the Pacific ocean, leaving thousands of brand new cars onboard.”
EV buses
The only thing worse than an EV car is an EV bus. They cost about twice as much as a diesel bus – about a million dollars, have less range, and are more vulnerable to hot or cold weather. But when one of them catches on fire, it’s a terrible thing – especially if they are close to anything else. When Philladelphia bought 25 EV buses from Proterra (now bankrupt) in 2017, they developed cracks in the chassis after a few years, so they were taken out of service. Proterra had no answers, so they were parked along with diesel buses that were out of service.
Once again, Thomas Shepstone picked up this story of a 6/5/25 EV fire, with a video.
above: screenshot from the video - 40 buses destroyed
“… a massive fire broke out at the SEPTA Midvale Depot in Philadelphia. The blaze quickly escalated to a 3-alarm incident, drawing over 100 firefighters and hazmat teams to the scene. The fire involved a mix of diesel and electric buses, many of which were out of service and parked tightly together with no firebreaks or access lanes. This video breaks down what went wrong—from the history of SEPTA’s Proterra electric bus fleet, to the poor layout of the yard, and the inherent risks that come with storing lithium-ion batteries without proper safeguards.”
The problem is the lithium ion batteries. They can spontaneously ignite and sometimes even explode. Homes have been destroyed, freeways have been shut down, some insurance companies are staying out of it, some tow companies won’t pick them up (the fires can start up again after thought to be out), and some parking garages won’t allow them. It’s not just cars and buses - grid size containers for battery backup for solar and wind farms have also caught fire. Battery factories and recycling centers have had some huge fires too. These kind of fires are extremely hot and very hard to put out.
10 more reasons not to buy an all electric vehicle
1. Higher cost. Right off the bat. An all electric vehicle costs more than a conventional gas powered vehicle or a hybrid.
2. Shorter life. Since batteries deteriorate with age, EVs have a relatively short life.
3. Rapid depreciation. EVs depreciate faster than regular gas vehicles.
4. Inconvenience of finding charging stations and time to recharge on a trip.
5. Limited range.
6. No basis for thinking EVs have any effect on global warming. They don’t.
7. Any savings on fuel become less every year because electricity rates are escalating.
8. If battery goes dead while on the road, a tow truck is necessary, if they’ll even accept the job. (fear of fires, insurance problems)
9. Insurance costs more. Tires, too - because of the extra weight.
10. Good luck during a prolonged power outage. At least owners of gas cars can have some spare gas cans for emergencies.