EV fires and insurance: what the data show and how a fire claim works

The best available evidence says electric cars do not catch fire more often than gasoline cars, and by some counts catch fire less often, but a battery fire is harder to put out and harder to close out afterward. For an insurance claim, the first fact affects your premium and your odds; the second affects how long the car sits in a yard, who pays for it, and whether it is a total loss almost automatically. A fire from any cause is covered under comprehensive coverage if you carry it.

The difficulty is that "how often" is genuinely hard to measure. The numbers that circulate come from different years, different countries and different denominators, so this article presents them as dated examples and says what each can and cannot show.

What the fire data show, and why they are hard to compare

Start with the baseline. The National Fire Protection Association estimated in November 2024 that U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 215,096 vehicle fires a year from 2018 through 2022, about 16% of all reported fires, with 195,927 of them highway vehicle fires (NFPA). Those fires caused an estimated 643 civilian deaths a year across all vehicle types. Mechanical failure or malfunction was the leading factor in ignition for highway vehicles, and electrical failure was another. The NFPA report does not break the fires out by powertrain, which is the first reason there is no clean, official fire rate for EVs: the national fire reporting system does not reliably record whether a burned car was electric, hybrid or gasoline.

Because of that gap, people turn to secondary analyses. Three illustrate the range and the problems.

An insurance-comparison site's 2022 analysis. AutoinsuranceEZ analyzed fire data from the National Transportation Safety Board and sales data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. As summarized by Plug In America on January 13, 2022, it found about 25 fires per 100,000 EVs sold, around 1,500 for gasoline vehicles and nearly 3,500 for hybrids (Plug In America). The year of the fire counts was not clear from that summary. Two cautions: it divides fires by vehicles sold in a year, not by vehicles on the road, and the original study's method could not be checked here, so treat the ratio as a rough indication, not a measured rate. The hybrid figure is a reminder that the numbers capture the whole vehicle population, including older cars.

Sweden's civil-protection agency. In an October 21, 2020 written answer to parliament, Sweden's interior minister relayed the findings of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB): fires in vehicles with lithium-ion batteries are not more common than fires in fossil-fuel vehicles, but once a battery has burned for some time the fire becomes harder to extinguish and produces more hazardous gas (Riksdag). The answer gave no figures.

The NTSB. Its 2020 safety report studied four fires in vehicles with high-voltage lithium-ion batteries and was about the risk to responders, not about rates (NTSB). It is useful for what happens during and after a battery fire, not for how often one starts.

The honest summary, as of November 2026: the credible sources lean toward EVs not being more fire-prone per vehicle, none gives a precise national rate, and the older, high-mileage gasoline fleet produces most of the fires simply by size. Your own premium is rated on claims data rather than headlines; see why electric vehicles cost more to insure for why EV rates are driven mainly by repair costs.

Why a battery fire is a different kind of loss

The claim consequences come from how the fire behaves. The NTSB report explains the mechanism and is worth quoting for specifics.

• Stranded energy. A damaged high-voltage battery can hold energy that has no path to discharge. That energy can cause electric shock and thermal runaway, and the battery can reignite after firefighters have put the fire out.
• Reignition. All three crash-damaged batteries in the NTSB's four-fire study reignited after being extinguished. In one case, more than 20,000 gallons of water were applied over at least two hours, and the battery reignited again while the car was being loaded onto a tow truck. In another, a battery reignited five days after the crash, in an impound yard.
• Water volumes. The NTSB said extinguishing a burning battery can require thousands of gallons of water, and responders cannot measure or drain the remaining energy.
• Storage. The NTSB found that the recommended 50-foot clear area around a damaged EV may be infeasible at tow or storage yards.

These are findings from 2020 and about a handful of crash fires, so they describe a risk, not a typical day, and newer guidance may exist. But they explain three features of a claim: the car may not go straight to a regular tow yard, it may sit isolated for days, and a salvage buyer will price in the handling risk.

How a fire is covered on your policy

Comprehensive covers fire. In the standard Insurance Services Office personal auto policy, the coverage called "other than collision" pays for loss from causes other than a collision, and fire is one of the listed examples (PropertyCasualty360). Our comprehensive coverage explained guide covers the basics. If the fire starts for any reason, a short in the wiring, an outside blaze, arson, a charging fault, the car is a comprehensive claim, subject to your deductible. If you carry liability only, the fire damage to your car is yours to pay. The standard form excludes damage "due and confined to" mechanical or electrical breakdown, but when a fire follows a breakdown, the fire damage is covered even though the failed part itself is not.

A fire after a crash. If the car is hit and then burns, two coverages can be involved: collision for the impact and comprehensive for the fire. Practices differ. Some insurers treat it as one loss under the coverage that caused the damage; others apply different deductibles to different portions. Ask the adjuster in writing which coverage and which deductible apply, and note that if the other driver was at fault, their liability coverage should pay for the whole loss.

Cause of the fire. The adjuster, and often an origin-and-cause investigator, will try to determine how it started. A fire the policyholder set on purpose can defeat a claim; a manufacturing defect, a charger fault or an outside ignition source does not. Cooperate with the investigation and preserve the wreck (more on that below).

What pays for towing, quarantine storage and cleanup

A fire creates costs that a typical crash does not.

1. Hazardous towing. A damaged EV may need a flatbed operator who is trained for it, and one who will carry it. Towing after a covered loss is generally part of the claim, and some policies add separate towing and labor coverage; check yours (towing and labor coverage).
2. Isolation or quarantine storage. A yard holding a burned or damaged EV may charge more than the standard daily rate because it must keep the car apart from others and, in some yards, monitor it. After the insurer accepts a total loss, daily fees typically become a problem fast: insurers pay reasonable storage for a limited period and expect the car to be moved, and the rest can be a dispute. Our towing and storage fees after a crash: who pays, how to stop the meter article explains how fees accrue and what to ask for.
3. Cleanup and environmental costs. Water, foam and contaminated runoff from a vehicle fire can involve disposal costs. If the car burned on your property, those costs sit within a homeowners claim rather than an auto claim.
4. Rental. A burned car means a rental until the claim settles. Your rental reimbursement limit applies; see the total loss timeline: from the adjuster's call to the check.

If you are unsure whether a cost is covered, ask the adjuster to specify in writing what the claim will pay and what the insurer expects you to handle.

Why a burned battery usually means a total loss

When the fire reaches the pack, the cells, enclosure and cooling system may have been exposed to heat and water, and the manufacturer's procedures typically call for replacing the pack. The pack is the car's most expensive component, and the rest of the car may have heat and smoke damage as well. Together those costs usually exceed what the car was worth, and the insurer declares a total loss. Our why electric cars get totaled after crashes a gas car would survive article explains the arithmetic of the formula, and car fire claims: causes, coverage and what investigators look for covers fire total losses generally.

Some details to watch:

• Valuation. The payout is the actual cash value just before the fire, not the repair cost. Check the valuation report for trim, battery size and options, as in our how insurers calculate actual cash value guide.
• Timing. A total loss declared after the fire follows the usual paperwork; see what happens when your car is totaled.
• The loan. If you owe more than the payout, you pay the difference unless you have gap insurance.

Garage and home fires

Where the car burned determines which policy pays for what.

• The car. Always the auto policy (comprehensive). Homeowners insurance does not cover damage to your car. Policygenius, in an article updated October 2023, says homeowners insurance never covers damage to your car or anyone else's (Policygenius).
• An attached garage. It is part of the home, so dwelling coverage applies to the structure, subject to the homeowners policy's terms and its deductible.
• A detached garage. Typically covered under the other-structures coverage, which commonly carries a limit tied to a percentage of the dwelling limit; Policygenius gives 10% as typical.
• Belongings. Personal property in the garage falls under the personal property coverage, with whatever limits and exclusions the policy has. Whether a car or its parts count as property depends on the wording, and motor vehicles are generally excluded.
• Neighbors' property. If fire spreads to a neighbor's house, the neighbor's insurer pays them and may then pursue you, and your homeowners liability coverage may respond. Motor vehicle liability exclusions in home policies can create a gap; see how your auto liability fits in how much liability coverage do you need?.

Two fire-safety rules appear often in insurer guidance and are worth following regardless: charge with the equipment the manufacturer specifies, and don't leave a recalled car charging inside the house or garage (more below). Our Is your home EV charger covered? guide covers the charger itself.

A worked example

These numbers are hypothetical. An EV parked in an attached garage overnight starts smoking at 3 a.m.; the household gets out and the fire department extinguishes it. The next day the car has been towed to an isolated yard.

The auto insurer pays $41,000 plus $1,900 minus $500, or $42,400, and takes the wreck. The homeowners insurer pays $62,000 minus $2,500, or $59,500. Neither policy covers the other's piece. If an investigation traces the fire to a defect, either insurer could pursue the manufacturer and, if it recovers, your deductibles may come back to you.

Recalls, warranties and subrogation against the maker

If a fire traces to a defect, the maker may be on the hook. Three channels matter.

Recalls. NHTSA recall 21V-650 expanded the Chevrolet Bolt battery recall to 2020 through 2022 Bolt EV models and 2022 Bolt EUVs, 52,417 vehicles in General Motors' Part 573 report, and described a risk of fire when the batteries were charged to or near full capacity, traced to two rare manufacturing defects in the same cell (NHTSA records). In July 2021 NHTSA recommended that owners of certain Bolts park outside and away from buildings (ABC7, July 15, 2021). A recall can matter to your claim in several ways: it supports a defect theory, and an open recall that told you to park outside raises a question about where the car was parked. Our vehicle recalls and insurance: what an open recall changes article explains that, and you can check recalls on NHTSA's site with your VIN.

Warranty. Some manufacturers cover fire damage. Tesla's North America warranty for the Cybertruck (effective June 5, 2025) says the battery coverage extends to damage from a battery fire even where driver error caused it, but not to damage that existed before the fire, or to a fire after the car had been declared a total loss. Terms differ by brand and model, so read yours.

Subrogation. If your insurer pays and the evidence points to a product defect, it can pursue the manufacturer in subrogation, and it may ask you to keep the vehicle's remains for testing. Do not scrap, sell or crush the wreck until the insurer says it is released. Evidence destroyed too early can sink a recovery, and your deductible rides on it. See subrogation explained: how your insurer recovers your deductible. Product-liability claims for injury or major loss are for a licensed attorney.

What to do if your EV is smoking or burning

1. Get everyone away from the car, well clear of the vehicle and any building, and call 911. Tell the dispatcher it is an electric vehicle.
2. Do not try to drive, charge or move it if it smells of smoke, hisses, pops or shows a warning.
3. After the fire department leaves, tell the insurer and tell any tow operator the car is electric and has been on fire.
4. Ask the fire department for the incident number and, if you want a report, how to request it.
5. Photograph everything, including the garage, the charger and the car's position.
6. Leave the wreck alone. Do not sell or scrap it. Ask the insurer where it will be stored and by whom.
7. Call the homeowners insurer too if any structure was damaged.

Our flooded electric vehicles: why saltwater so often totals the car article covers the closely related case of water.

Common questions

Do EVs cost more to insure because of fire risk?

Premiums are driven mainly by repair costs and claim severity, not by fire frequency. See why electric vehicles cost more to insure.

Will my insurer cancel me because I own an EV?

Owning an EV is not by itself a reason to cancel. Cancellation and nonrenewal rules vary by state, and an insurer must follow them; your state insurance department can tell you what applies.

Does my homeowners policy cover a fire that starts in my car?

It covers the building, not the car. See the garage and home section above, and check your policy for any motor-vehicle exclusion on liability.

Is a charging fire covered differently from any other fire?

The auto policy treats it as a fire loss under comprehensive. What changes is the cause: a defective charger or battery may allow your insurer to seek recovery from the maker or seller. Charger installation and liability for home equipment are covered in Is your home EV charger covered?.

Should I park an EV outside?

There is no general rule. For a car under a recall that tells owners to park outside, follow it. Otherwise follow the manufacturer's instructions for charging and parking, and ask your insurer whether it has any requirements for storage or charging.

Key takeaways

• Evidence through 2022 suggests EVs do not catch fire more often than gasoline cars, but no source gives a reliable national rate; treat any number as a dated example with a scope.
• Battery fires can reignite and be hard to extinguish, which drives hazardous towing, isolated storage and, usually, a total loss.
• Comprehensive pays for fire from any cause; a fire after a crash can involve both collision and comprehensive, so ask which deductible applies.
• The car is an auto-policy claim, while an attached garage or house is a homeowners claim.
• Keep the wreck until the insurer releases it; recall and warranty terms may let someone recover your costs from the maker.