undefined | Better HN

0 pointsthomasfedb7y ago0 comments

Being on fire is surely — by definition — not part of normal operation.

Both electric and internal combustion vehicles have failure modes that involve fire.

0 comments

zajd7y ago

No, but the activities that led to the fire were. There was no accident, there was no impact of any kind. It was a question, not a condemnation. When is the last time an ICE car burst into flames during normal operation?

torpfactory7y ago

It happens surprisingly regularly, but it doesn't get reported by the BBC. I was driving through Portland OR ~4 weeks ago and noticed an RV pull of the side of I5 southbound with the engine smoking. After a few minutes, flames were leaping from the engine compartment. I didn't see any indication that there had been an accident (no body damage, etc), so I assume there was no impact.

Its not surprising really, ICEs are powered and lubricated by highly flammable liquids. They are certainly very reliable these days, but fire is still a failure mode.

cfadvan7y ago

What percentage of those cars were less than three years old, or a supercar?

thomasfedbOP7y ago

Given the number of cars that exist, it's almost guaranteed that the answer to that is "today" if you look hard enough.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse