Here’s why EV batteries sometimes burst into flames

While EVs are less likely to catch fire than cars with internal combustion engines, when they do, it’s worse. Much worse. The culprit? Their lithium-ion batteries. To better understand why lithium-ion batteries can sometimes be hazardous, let’s first refresh how they work. A li-ion battery comprises of four key elements: a positive electrode (the cathode), a negative electrode (the anode), an electrolyte, and a separator. The structure of a lithium-ion battery (Credit: Jianan Z