Cradle-to-Crisis Approach Improves Battery Safety & Performance

A federal research lab, the National Laboratory of the Rockies, is studying how batteries fail so manufacturers can build safer ones from the start. Battery failures can trigger "thermal runaway," a chain reaction where heat and gas buildup lead to fire. Researchers test batteries under stress, using tools like nail punctures and thermal shocks, then feed that data into a new public Battery Safety Database built with the University of Texas at Austin and Exponent Inc. The database covers current lithium-ion batteries as well as emerging types like sodium, potassium-ion, and solid-state lithium metal batteries, which promise more power storage but come with unknown risks.

For homeowners, this research mostly matters if you have or plan to get an electric vehicle or a home battery system. The lab notes that EV battery fires remain rare and happen at rates similar to or lower than gas-engine fires, but they can be harder to put out and may reignite. After Hurricane Ian flooded EVs with seawater in Florida in 2022, the lab worked with federal safety regulators to better understand flood-related battery fires, and that partnership has since expanded. The lab is now helping create better guidance and tools for emergency responders handling damaged EVs.

None of this changes any rebate or purchase decision today, but it points to ongoing work aimed at making EV and battery storage technology safer as it becomes more common in homes and vehicles.