During the scorching hot summer, an electric vehicle fire that occurred in South Korea has become a hot topic. Amidst all this, Japanese EVs, which are often ridiculed as being “lagging behind,” are quietly gaining attention. In fact, its safety is said to be incredible. Here we take a closer look at the secret behind why Japanese EVs prevent fires. ■It will never catch fire!? Nissan’s EV The EV is on fire! This month, there have been a series of fires in South Korea that are likely caused by EV batteries. Of particular interest is the EV fire accident that occurred on the 1st of this month. Specifically, a Mercedes-Benz eqe350 parked in the underground parking lot of an apartment building caught fire, burning 40 cars in the parking lot. By the way, the eqe350 was equipped with a battery from a Chinese manufacturer. As a result of this fire, there are moves in South Korea to restrict the use of EVs in underground parking lots at apartment complexes and close charging stations. (Omitted) However, what is strange is that while we hear about EV fires involving foreign brand cars, we don’t hear about any fires involving Japanese EVs, perhaps because the number is so small. On the contrary, the Nissan Leaf, which debuted in 2010 as the world’s first mass-produced EV, is said to be world-famous as an EV that will never catch fire. “The Leaf is the world’s first mass-marketed EV, so failure is out of the question. “We’ve poured all of our knowledge of ’Nissan’s technology into this.” (Nissan insider) What’s the secret behind Japanese-made EVs not exploding? Car life journalist Yoichiro Watanabe explains. –Why don’t Japanese EVs explode? Watanabe: A big part of it is that they spend a lot of money on thorough measures to prevent fires. Specifically, heat generation checks are carried out thoroughly at every possible unit, and the battery temperature is constantly controlled. Furthermore, Japanese manufacturers have always prioritized safety when it comes to battery development, regardless of the effort and cost involved in manufacturing, when it comes to the shape of the battery, the materials used for the electrodes, and even measures to prevent the fire from spreading to other cells in the unlikely event of a fire inside the battery. –Why do Japanese manufacturers take such thorough safety measures? Watanabe: It has to do with the national character and corporate culture, but I think the problem of defective cars produced by Japanese manufacturers in the 1960s and 1970s also had an impact. The defects at the time ranged from brake failure to fuel leaks, and actually even fires. For example, there have been cases where the implementation of emission control measures has caused a vehicle’s exhaust system to overheat and catch fire when it came into contact with grass growing in the parking area. As a result of a series of accidents caused by these types of defects, a recall system was established in 1969, and safety awareness among domestic automobile manufacturers improved dramatically. As an aside, more than 20 years ago, a director of a Japanese automobile manufacturer told me, “I recently visited a nuclear power plant, and I found that safety awareness and countermeasures were far too low. I heard that “that kind of thinking and measures would never work at an automobile manufacturer.’’ Then the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and the directors’ concerns were realized. In recent years, Japanese automakers have become extremely safety conscious, and to be more precise, they are extremely cautious about safety. –Japanese automakers have always focused on safety. If Watanabe Motors has a defect, it could lead directly to accidents resulting in death or injury. Even if the rate of defective products is 0.01% (1 in 10,000), if a car sells 20,000 units per month, two fatal accidents each month for the same model of car would occur for which the manufacturer is responsible, which could trigger bankruptcy. Based on past experience with defective vehicles, Japanese automakers understand the importance of safety and the dire consequences that can come from neglecting it. That’s why Japanese EVs don’t burn. The reason why Japanese manufacturers are cautious about the practical application of autonomous driving and robot taxis is similar; it’s not that they are lagging behind, but that they are being cautious. –The battery involved in the recent fire in South Korea was made by a Chinese manufacturer. Watanabe: This is just my imagination, but China’s automobile industry has grown rapidly since 2000. Unlike Japan, the United States has little experience of being harshly criticized by the public or the media for defective cars. Maybe safety awareness is not developed yet. *Related threads [Hankyoreh Newspaper] EVs burning all over the world… Why do EV battery fires occur? [8/20] [Insect Encyclopedia★].
>>3 Even though the number of EVs sold per year is small, Japan has been selling EVs for the longest time. In total, there is probably no difference with the number of EVs sold by other manufacturers. They have been selling them for a long time, so there must be some that are still in use even though they have deteriorated, but they are still safer than new EVs with Chinese batteries.
>>6 No matter how great the energy, it is just a natural phenomenon in itself, and humans are not great. We gather only what is convenient for humans. We confine it so that it does not exceed the limits of our ability to handle. That is how great humans are.
The media and critics are heavily responsible for allowing the market to become flooded with cars that are of home appliance quality rather than car quality, by hyping up the idea that EVs will turn cars into home appliances.
>Furthermore, in the unlikely event of a fire inside the battery, there are measures to prevent the fire from spreading to other cells. Seriously? Is this even possible now?
It’s fine in Japan, but we need a system that can flexibly respond to the level of safety required in each country, and in Africa, it may be too high quality.
>>28 But manufacturers are dealing with human lives Everyone has their own ideas about what they want to make and what they want to work for at a company that values it.
At first glance, the reason Japan seems to be lagging behind is safety. But with a “slow and steady wins the race” mentality, they will end up at the forefront.
I thought the first generation Nissan Leaf would soon be gone, but every time I see one I’m impressed by how amazing it is. What’s more, there have been no fires, which shows just how careful they are (with some exceptions).
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