The combination of a fuel tank and an electric component in a hybrid car can increase the risk of explosion says Bastiaan Reymer, lecturer in Automotive Technology at the Thomas More University. On Saturday evening a hybrid car exploded in Izegem (West Flanders). The lecturer says explosions happen rarely, but unfortunately it cannot be avoided.

Saturday evening, a hybrid car exploded while charging in the West Flemish town of Izegem. The explosion caused severe damage to the adjacent apartment building. 'A case like this is extremely rare,' says Reymer. 'But unfortunately, it cannot be prevented.'

'Modern electric cars are less prone to catching fire than petrol-fuelled cars,' he explains, 'but a hybrid car contains a combination of both technologies. This can slightly increase the risk of explosion.'

'An electric car, of course, only has a battery,' he explains. 'If a fire were to start in a car like that, the battery would burn gradually and the fire would probably last longer. That's a fierce metal fire that is more difficult to extinguish.'

'In addition to the electrical system, a hybrid car also has a combustion engine with a fuel tank. An electrical fire can suddenly ignite the fuel tank. That's where the risk of explosion lies.'

Bad luck

'The manufacturers of the vehicles naturally conduct a great deal of research to make them safe,' Reymer explains. 'So there are numerous built-in systems to keep the vehicle safe, both while driving and while charging. For example, for safety reasons the battery will usually switch itself off automatically if something goes wrong.'

Nevertheless, there are occasions when this safety feature does not work, as was probably the case in Izegem. 'The work undertaken by these manufacturers reduces the risk, but it is impossible to eliminate risk entirely.'

'For example, minor problems may have crept into the battery during production, or you may have bad luck while driving. Unfortunately, it is impossible to assess in advance whether the risk has increased or not,' Reymer concludes. 'So it's just a case of bad luck.'

Hybrid car explodes: risk of explosion higher than in electric or petrol cars | VRT NWS: news