Lithium-ion batteries are certainly at risk, but gasoline is at risk as well. powered cars. As I wrote in another story today, lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles have some inherent risks, just like any way to store energy for cars. The main point of this article is that these risks are manageable, as we do with gasoline (see "is electric vehicles a fire hazard? ") . But there is reason to think that lithium-ion battery cars may be safer than gasoline cars. Gasoline is concentrated in a large tank. Flammable liquid electrolyte that burns in a battery fire is contained in small packages. If one of them has a problem, this provides more opportunities to protect the electrolyte and slow the spread of the fire. The recent fire in Tesla Model S happened in the front of the car. You don't need to refuel the battery, so there is no pumping of flammable liquids. Electric cars have much less moving parts than gasoline, so there will be fewer things to break down. A large part of the traditional car fire is caused by mechanical parts failure. During normal operation, the electrolyte in the battery will not catch fire. But the gasoline engine was deliberately exposed to Sparks. The engine runs hot. This is a tough question. Electric vehicles will not emit pollution locally, which will improve air quality in cities and reduce deaths and diseases, especially in countries like China. Pollution from power plants used to charge electric vehicles is easier to control and monitor than pollution from millions of gasoline tailpipes. In conclusion, there are many reasons for choosing an electric car than a gasoline car in terms of overall safety. Of course, in order for electric vehicles to have a good reputation, automakers need to manage the real risks of using lithium-ion batteries. Check out "why electric cars are safer than gasoline-powered cars" and find more technical news from the MIT Technical Review.