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However much safer electric cars might be than their gas counterparts, they can still catch fire — and BYD wants to reduce the chances of that happening. It will soon roll out a Blade Battery that’s meant to be safer without compromising performance. Its high temperature for exothermic reactions, low (and slow) heat release and lack of oxygen release combine to form an energy pack that shouldn’t “easily” catch fire. A nail puncture test didn’t even significantly raise the temperature of the battery (it didn’t venture above 140F), let alone set it ablaze. It also avoided fires due to bending, crushing, overcharging and overheating.
The battery should be efficient, too. An optimized battery structure is reportedly 50 percent better at using space than a conventional lithium ion phosphate battery. BYD’s upcoming Han EV (above) will reportedly have a healthy cruising range of about 376 miles using the Blade Battery, although there’s a good chance it won’t reach that figure in real-world driving.
We wouldn’t count on driving the Han EV given BYD’s focus on China, especially in light of the COVID-19 outbreak potentially affecting exports. However, this does suggest that truly safe EV batteries may soon be a practical reality. That could improve your chances of escaping a collision unscathed, not to mention reduce the potential for igniting anything nearby.
