10 reasons electric cars still suck

[Sherman 61]

Another Tesla fire..

 

[VladtheDestroyer 39]

On 11/7/2024 at 7:28 PM, Sherman said:

I have seen videos of this - lemme see if I can find one...

Here's an exploding Tesla

[Sherman 61]

[VladtheDestroyer 39]

Yeah man! Reminds me of my old Trans Am I had when I was in my 20's. Blew the motor up doing well over 100mph on the Indiana toll road. Always had problems with it overheating. But at least I never had to worry about it spontaneously busting into flames for no reason while it sat in my driveway. Or in my parents attached garage. 

[what if 1,671]

here are the problems i see with electric cars:

1. lack of infrastructure. as it stands now we have about 0.3% of the needed chargers. the vast number of available chargers are located along interstates. in my particular area there are 2 known electric car stations within a 70 mile radius. one is located in my city and has 2 plugs. the other is located on an interstate and has about 90 plugs.

2 "refuel" times. even if we get the needed infrastructure there is still the problem of refueling. most stations are not DC fast chargers. be prepared for hours at the "gas pump". coupled with this is the complete lack of "gas station attendants" at charging stations

3. lack of towing capacity. gone are the days of towing a u-haul trailer with your car

4. cold weather. not only does cold weather reduce the efficiency of batteries, you also need electricity to power the heaters inside the car

5. unless your car is being charged from solar, wind, or hydroelectric you aren't doing as much good as you think.

6. unless you have a driveway you cannot charge your car at home. running an extension cord out to your car will probably be a violation of electrical codes.

7. software. i guess everyone forgot there is such a thing as hackers.]

8. high voltage. i find it unnerving to think i'm sitting on top of 400 volts. this can make servicing your car a challenge for the DIY

if you drive less than 70 miles a day and have your own driveway with a solar charger then an electric car is a great option, otherwise i doubt you would be happy with one.

the problems i see with ICE cars:

1. their mechanical complexity. an ICE engine requires at least 12 moving parts per cylinder. this doesn't include water pumps, steering pumps, oil pumps, and other assorted odds and ends. all of this stuff is held together by hundreds of bolts and screws of different sizes. an electric motor has 1 moving part, the rotor, and maybe 6 or so screws the same size to hold it together. an ICE engine has 4 bearing surfaces per cylinder (plus the bearing surfaces required for the assorted odds and ends). an electric motor has 2, one at each end of the rotor. IOW there are only 3 parts that can fail with an electric motor the rotor,  the stator, and the drive electronics. the drive electronics would be the most complicated and would probably be replaced as a unit.

2. ICE engines require frequent fluid changes. used motor oil and coolant are TOXIC. animals die from drinking coolant that has been carelessly left laying around.

3. their dismal efficiency. electric motors can achieve over 97% while an ICE engine gets maybe, MAYBE, 40%

 

[what if 1,671]

i've been looking for information like this. it can give a ballpark figure for all aircraft:

'Falcons' users emit 500 times more CO2 per year into the atmosphere than the average citizen.

. . .

Interestingly, the largest international events in the last five years were the ones that caused the highest peaks in air emissions. The event with the most private flights was the 2022 World Cup final held in Qatar, with 1,846 flights and almost 15,000 tons of CO2 emitted, followed by Davos Forum with 660 planes. Paradoxically, the UN meeting to mitigate climate change held last year in Dubai, COP28, was one of the events with the highest number of private flights, 644, which produced 4,800 tons of CO2.

. . .

For example, the Falcon 900B used by the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, consumes about 1,300 liters of kerosene per hour, equivalent to two tons of CO2, according to manufacturer data.

. . .

The authors also point out that users of these flights produced 2,400 tons of CO2 each in 2023, based on flight data from the unique tail numbers of their aircraft. This is nearly 500 times more than the average emissions per citizen in 2020, which amounted to 4.5 tons of CO2.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/falcons-users-emit-500-times-more-co2-per-year-into-the-atmosphere-than-the-average-citizen/ar-AA1tTJ9R?ocid=msedgdhp&cvid=ec9be221f4fb437eb904ddcc29a96718&ei=27

[Yorzhik 56]

On 11/10/2024 at 5:21 AM, what if said:

here are the problems i see with electric cars:

1. lack of infrastructure. as it stands now we have about 0.3% of the needed chargers. the vast number of available chargers are located along interstates. in my particular area there are 2 known electric car stations within a 70 mile radius. one is located in my city and has 2 plugs. the other is located on an interstate and has about 90 plugs.

2 "refuel" times. even if we get the needed infrastructure there is still the problem of refueling. most stations are not DC fast chargers. be prepared for hours at the "gas pump". coupled with this is the complete lack of "gas station attendants" at charging stations

3. lack of towing capacity. gone are the days of towing a u-haul trailer with your car

4. cold weather. not only does cold weather reduce the efficiency of batteries, you also need electricity to power the heaters inside the car

5. unless your car is being charged from solar, wind, or hydroelectric you aren't doing as much good as you think.

6. unless you have a driveway you cannot charge your car at home. running an extension cord out to your car will probably be a violation of electrical codes.

7. software. i guess everyone forgot there is such a thing as hackers.]

8. high voltage. i find it unnerving to think i'm sitting on top of 400 volts. this can make servicing your car a challenge for the DIY

if you drive less than 70 miles a day and have your own driveway with a solar charger then an electric car is a great option, otherwise i doubt you would be happy with one.

the problems i see with ICE cars:

1. their mechanical complexity. an ICE engine requires at least 12 moving parts per cylinder. this doesn't include water pumps, steering pumps, oil pumps, and other assorted odds and ends. all of this stuff is held together by hundreds of bolts and screws of different sizes. an electric motor has 1 moving part, the rotor, and maybe 6 or so screws the same size to hold it together. an ICE engine has 4 bearing surfaces per cylinder (plus the bearing surfaces required for the assorted odds and ends). an electric motor has 2, one at each end of the rotor. IOW there are only 3 parts that can fail with an electric motor the rotor,  the stator, and the drive electronics. the drive electronics would be the most complicated and would probably be replaced as a unit.

2. ICE engines require frequent fluid changes. used motor oil and coolant are TOXIC. animals die from drinking coolant that has been carelessly left laying around.

3. their dismal efficiency. electric motors can achieve over 97% while an ICE engine gets maybe, MAYBE, 40%

 

A few of these problems for electric cars can be mitigated.

The infrastructure can be built up quickly enough. We just have to want to do it, meaning the compromise will be to a) have the freedom to build out as needed without government intrusion, and b) there is no "b", just get the government out of the way. Better batteries would help by reducing the number of times one would need to charge. 

Refuel times can't be fixed enough to reach gasoline refuel times. We'll just have to learn to restructure our lives to live with recharge times. One thing that we do now, even with the crappy battery technology we currently have. is a slow charge overnight. My neighbor hasn't had to stop for gas or wait for a recharge in the years she's owned her electric car because 99% of the time it's used for a day's driving within the range of a full charge even on cold days. They use the husband's ICE car for trips if they drive out of town. And this kind of arrangement is true for the vast majority of EV owners.

LOL, towing is exposing the efficiency of the platform. It's a problem that can only be solved, like most of these problems, with better batteries (that includes a last minute decision to use a UHaul on your car).

Yep, our current battery technology sucks in cold weather. The rest of the car works great in winter.

The green movement is stupid. We need to switch to EV's because they are just a better way to drive if we could only get a battery technology that allowed it.

Yeah, if you don't have a driveway, you can't recharge conveniently overnight. I'm guessing solving that problem will be a great market someday.

Software has the same problem in ICE cars.

High voltage is a problem, but the tradeoff is worth it.

We don't have an EV problem, we have a battery technology problem.

 

[what if 1,671]

On 12/31/2024 at 1:56 PM, Yorzhik said:

A few of these problems for electric cars can be mitigated.

The infrastructure can be built up quickly enough.

i would be willing to bet we won't get the needed infrastructure for 10 years, simply because we still haven't solved refill times.while we are looking for THAT solution industry will be reluctant to commit resources for a specfic type of charger. the onlt way i see to reduce refuel times is to change the primary power source to something like a fuel cell.

Quote

They use the husband's ICE car for trips if they drive out of town. And this kind of arrangement is true for the vast majority of EV owners.

not if the left has their way. they want to BAN ice engines. some states has already banned them for new car sales. and it's not just cars. they've been hankering for kerosene heaters gas stoves, gas furnaces, refrigerators, even lawn mowers, weed eaters and chain saws.

the lopsided way all of this is being implemented doesn't sit too well with me. do you really believe the rich and famous will give up their private jets? not a chance.

Quote

We need to switch to EV's because they are just a better way to drive if we could only get a battery technology that allowed it.

actually we need to eliminate it altogether because i doubt we will solve the problem. don't forget there has been extensive research into this area by both NASA and GM. NASA has been on it since about the mid 70s.

[what if 1,671]

Feds Halt the National Electric Vehicle Charging Program.

https://www.wired.com/story/feds-halt-national-electric-vehicle-charging-program/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

this will halt the "federal involvement" that yorzhic was advocating for. we will no longer have the guarantee that these stations are being  built by companies that actually have the expertise at building them. 

 

[what if 1,671]

ICE cars beware ! !

So although it may sound antithetical to the core of NASCAR, the racing series has created the first NASCAR EV prototype, which debuted this past weekend at the Chicago street race.

. . .

Under the bodywork sits three six-phase electric motors, with one mounted up front and the other two in the rear. All four Goodyear-shod wheels receive power, with a maximum output of over 1300 horsepower.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61547194/nascar-electric-prototype-details/

i also found that EV's will probably not need a transmission. this will reduce failure rates. servicing one of these electric vehicles would be a breeze compared to an ICE engine

also, the torque curves are different. ICE engines requires > 3,000 rpm before they deliver maximum torque. (which is why they require a transmission). an electric motor delivers its maximum torque at "locked rotor" (0 rpm). don't confuse rpm with mph.

i would also like to point out that the american automobile was essentially forged by NASCAR.

1300hp, that's a lot of ponies.

[what if 1,671]

i've been thinking about the mechanical aspect of these electric vehicles.

they probably won't have power brakes because it requires a vacuum which EVs do not provide. this vacuum also operates various vents which will need to switch to electric or cable operated.

if they are as green as claimed then they probably won't have power steering either because that requires hydraulic fluid.

the biggest drawback is cold weather. not only does cold weather zap the efficiency of batteries, the batteries must now provide heat for the passengers. both of these together will kill your "gas mileage". ICE engines do not suffer from this. the battery is only required to start the engine. the heat is essentially the lost efficiency of ICE engines, it's "thrown overboard" both winter and summer.

servicing one of these EVs would be a mechanics dream because there's essentially nothing to service other than greasing various front end parts and maybe a thimble full of oil at each end of the rotor per year. no belts, which means no pulleys, no transmission, which means no transmission fluid. no oil, which means no oil changes. no coolant, which means no antifreeze. there might be brushes which would need to be periodically replaced and scoured commutators would present problems. if your EV doesn't require brushes then i can easily see how a properly constructed and maintained EV motor would last you a lifetime with very little in parts replacement. the electronics part will be the bear, and possibly a very large one

mechanically i can't think of anything simpler

[Yorzhik 56]

On 1/22/2025 at 5:39 AM, what if said:

i would be willing to bet we won't get the needed infrastructure for 10 years, simply because we still haven't solved refill times.while we are looking for THAT solution industry will be reluctant to commit resources for a specfic type of charger. the onlt way i see to reduce refuel times is to change the primary power source to something like a fuel cell.

not if the left has their way. they want to BAN ice engines. some states has already banned them for new car sales. and it's not just cars. they've been hankering for kerosene heaters gas stoves, gas furnaces, refrigerators, even lawn mowers, weed eaters and chain saws.

the lopsided way all of this is being implemented doesn't sit too well with me. do you really believe the rich and famous will give up their private jets? not a chance.

actually we need to eliminate it altogether because i doubt we will solve the problem. don't forget there has been extensive research into this area by both NASA and GM. NASA has been on it since about the mid 70s.

Yes, 10 years to build out infrastructure seems about right.

It's true, the left does things to gain power, not to help people.

Also it's true the left is working hard to take away fuel burning for the little people, but not for themselves.

I don't think we'll see a solution soon, but I think we'll eventually get there.

[what if 1,671]

Here's something that might shock you: building a single electric car battery requires six times more minerals than making an entire conventional car. We're talking about massive amounts of lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel that have to be ripped from the earth. The mining industry has been quietly celebrating this boom, but the environmental cost is staggering.

While automakers love to showcase their sleek electric models, they rarely mention the industrial-scale extraction happening behind the scenes. Think of it like building a beautiful house while completely destroying the neighborhood to get the materials. The numbers don't lie, and they paint a picture that's far from the clean, green image most people associate with electric vehicles.

The global electric vehicle market is experiencing some wild shifts that tell a fascinating story about our energy future. China's battery demand exploded by 30% in 2024, while the United States saw a solid 20% increase. But here's where it gets interesting – Europe, once considered a leader in the electric transition, basically hit a wall with stagnant growth.

This isn't just about car sales; it's about entire nations betting their industrial futures on different energy strategies. The contrast is stark and reveals deep economic and political divisions in how different regions are approaching the electric revolution. What's driving these dramatically different outcomes, and what does it mean for the global supply chain?

The U.S. Department of Energy has been sounding alarm bells about something most electric car buyers never consider: our power grid simply wasn't built for this. Widespread EV charging threatens to overload distribution systems that are already struggling with basic demand. Picture trying to charge your phone, laptop, and tablet all at once using a power strip from the 1980s – that's essentially what we're asking our electrical infrastructure to handle.

Many neighborhoods could face rolling blackouts or massive utility bills as the grid struggles to keep up. The solution requires billions in upgrades, but who's going to pay for it? The answer might surprise you, but it probably won't be the car companies profiting from the electric boom.

While you're feeling good about your eco-friendly purchase, Indonesian rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Open-pit nickel mining became a major driver of deforestation in 2024, clearing vast areas of biodiversity-rich tropical forest. These aren't just trees being cut down – entire ecosystems are being obliterated to extract the nickel that makes your electric car battery possible.

The irony is almost too painful to contemplate: we're destroying some of the world's most important carbon-absorbing forests to build vehicles that are supposed to fight climate change. Local communities are being displaced, wildlife habitats are vanishing, and the environmental cost is being paid thousands of miles away from where these "clean" cars are driven.

Industry leaders love to talk about battery recycling as the solution to these problems, but the reality is far more complicated. Current recycling rates for lithium-ion batteries are embarrassingly low, with most facilities only able to recover a fraction of the valuable materials. The recycling process itself is energy-intensive and often involves hazardous chemicals that create their own environmental problems.

Most electric car batteries end up in landfills or shipped to developing countries where they're processed under dangerous conditions. The technology exists to do better, but the economics don't support large-scale recycling operations yet. It's a classic case of promising future solutions while ignoring present-day problems.

When you factor in the hidden environmental and social costs, the true price of electric vehicles becomes much more complex. The mining operations, manufacturing emissions, and infrastructure upgrades required create a massive upfront environmental debt. While electric cars may eventually offset these costs through reduced emissions during operation, the payback period is longer than most people realize.

The benefits are also unevenly distributed – wealthy consumers in developed countries get the clean air and quiet streets, while poor communities near mining operations bear the environmental and health costs. This isn't to say electric vehicles are inherently bad, but the narrative of simple environmental virtue needs a serious reality check.

The real question isn't whether electric cars are perfect – they're not – but whether they're better than the alternatives. The answer depends on how honestly we're willing to confront the true costs of our transportation choices and whether we're prepared to pay the price for real sustainability rather than just the appearance of it.

-  The Dark Side of the Electric Car Boom No One Wants to Talk About

[what if 1,671]

Scientists raise alarm over unexpected wildlife behavior around solar farms: 'Leading them off course'

Solar energy is crucial in our transition away from pollution-heavy power, but its rapid expansion has brought unexpected consequences for migrating birds and bats that could threaten biodiversity if left unaddressed.

Researchers at Murdoch University have called for wildlife-friendly solar farm designs after discovering that solar panel farms could confuse birds and bats during migration.

In a new report published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, ecologists explained that solar panels often reflect light in a way that mimics bodies of water. Known as polarized light pollution, it can mislead birds into landing or veering off course.

"The reflective glare from solar panels mimics the appearance of water bodies, confusing migrating birds and leading them off course," professor Trish Fleming, lead author of the report, said.

The researchers also found that the panels may attract insects, creating artificial feeding grounds that can disrupt natural hunting and foraging behavior. This disruption can increase the risk of bird collisions and shift wildlife behavior in unintended ways.

Scientists raise alarm over unexpected wildlife behavior around solar farms: 'Leading them off course'

[what if 1,671]

 What began as a software response to battery concerns is now drawing lawsuits, regulatory scrutiny, and fresh questions about how far carmakers can go when they “update” vehicles that customers already own.

The core of the dispute is simple: owners say they bought an electric truck with specific acceleration and power, then watched those capabilities shrink after Ford pushed out an over-the-air update. 

Ford slowed an electric truck and now lawsuits are piling up

 

[what if 1,671]

it's not just electric cars that's prone, check this out:

Every new car rolling off assembly lines already carries the hardware to let government traffic systems override your speedometer. Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology promises safer roads through constant communication between your car, other vehicles, and highway infrastructure. The same network that prevents accidents could also enforce speed limits remotely, turning every connected car into a government-monitored vehicle.

This isn’t science fiction. The European Union mandated Intelligent Speed Assistance systems in 2022, requiring new cars to alert drivers-and potentially intervene-when speed limits are exceeded. While the U.S. lags in regulation, the Department of Transportation is actively researching similar interventions. Nearly every major automaker now builds V2X functionality into new platforms, anticipating future mandates.

Modern cars ship with V2X hardware that software updates can activate remotely.

Your vehicle broadcasts its position, speed, and direction to nearby cars through Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication. Meanwhile, Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) systems receive commands from smart traffic lights and road sensors. This network uses dedicated short-range radio and cellular 5G connections to create a real-time traffic management system.

Once most highways are V2X-equipped, centralized platforms could implement dynamic speed limits or congestion-based slowdowns by transmitting mandatory commands to each connected car.

The infrastructure for centralized highway speed management already exists and is being tested.

Traffic management systems can already send advisory messages about school zones, construction areas, or weather conditions directly to your dashboard. The leap to mandatory speed enforcement requires only regulatory approval, not new technology.

Imagine your car automatically slowing to 45 mph during rush hour congestion, regardless of the posted 65 mph limit, because a central algorithm determined optimal traffic flow. The ground technology for this scenario exists today and is being field-tested in select corridors.

The Government May Soon Slow Down Your Car Without Your Permission

[what if 1,671]

We show you, in this shop owner’s words, “the scary part” — that, if you’re in the back seat of a Tesla that’s lost battery power, your way out may be tucked under a rug, behind a speaker grille or under a plastic flap.

We take you to the scene of a fiery crash where a cluster of bodies were found in the front seat, suggesting to police there was a struggle to escape the burning vehicle.

The Feds are looking into this issue, and Chinese regulators are considering banning them outright. Tesla is apparently working on a way to fix this, and other automakers, like Toyota, already have more obvious release levers.

More people are realizing this type of car door is too dangerous

[what if 1,671]

Ford just took a $19.5 billion charge tied to its EV plans—basically the corporate version of slamming the brakes and admitting the road ahead isn’t what the PowerPoint promised. If you think that does not the car market, you simply must think again.

. . . 

That “following customers” line sounds like PR, but the consequences are real. When an automaker decides it can’t brute-force EV demand with expensive product and expensive incentives, it typically shifts money toward the stuff people already buy without a pep talk. In Ford’s case, that usually means trucks, mainstream crossovers, and drivetrains that deliver an immediate, everyday win—hybrids—without asking you to rebuild your life around charging.

Ford just took a $19.5 billion hit — and it changes what you’ll be able to buy

[what if 1,671]

Why I no longer support electric cars - and why you may feel the same soon.

Let me be honest right from the start. There was a time when I genuinely believed electric vehicles were the future we all needed.

The promise was beautiful. Zero emissions, cutting-edge tech, and a cleaner planet for our kids.

I was sold on the idea, like millions of others. Yet here we are, just a few years into the mainstream EV revolution, and the cracks are starting to show in ways nobody warned us about.

I'm talking about reliability nightmares, eye-watering costs lurking in the shadows, and environmental trade-offs that feel uncomfortably familiar. The more you dig into the reality of owning an electric car in 2024 and 2025, the more you realize the dream doesn't quite match the sales pitch.

Recent Consumer Reports data shows EVs and plug-in hybrids have about 80 percent more problems on average than gas-only cars. Think about that for a moment.

You're paying a premium for what's supposed to be advanced technology, yet you're almost twice as likely to experience issues compared to traditional vehicles. D.

Power's 2024 Initial Quality Survey, the average gasoline or diesel vehicle reported 180 problems per 100 vehicles, whereas that figure was set at 226 for EVs. The problems aren't minor annoyances either.

One survey of over 300,000 vehicles found electric models suffer 79 percent more maintenance problems than gas-powered cars, while plug-in hybrids fared even worse with 146 percent more issues reported by drivers. We're talking about battery malfunctions, electric motor failures, software glitches, and electrical system nightmares.

It's hard to justify the environmental benefits when your vehicle spends more time at the service center than on the road.

Harvard Business School research analyzing 1 million EV charging station consumer reviews estimates that drivers can successfully recharge their cars using non-residential EV equipment only 78 percent of the time. Let that sink in.

Nearly one in four charging attempts fails completely. Recent studies indicate that 19 percent of all EV owners have found themselves unable to charge their vehicles at charging stations due to damaged or out-of-service chargers or excessively long wait times.

7 percent for sampled EV chargers, with issues such as broken stalls, inaccurate station status updates, fast-wearing equipment, and difficulties with network providers frustrating many users. Here's the thing: you can't replicate the convenience of a gas station when public chargers fail this often.

As of June 2024, only eight working stations out of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program's 500,000 planned facilities were open. That's not a typo.

. . . 

Despite years of promises about improved range, the reality remains frustrating. Cold weather absolutely destroys battery performance.

An added challenge is that identified nearby chargers may be out of order or experiencing technical difficulties, with reduced battery performance and EV range during winter months a further concern for rural communities. You can't just hop in your EV and drive cross-country without meticulous planning.

Every trip becomes a logistical puzzle. Where will I charge?

How long will it take? What if the charger is broken when I get there?

Why I no longer support electric cars - and why you may feel the same soon

[what if 1,671]

As one Redditor pointed out, the sheer number of luxurious private jets making the trip was enough to make your head spin. 

"Hundreds of private jets departed the Bay Area immediately after the Super Bowl ended," the original poster wrote.  

According to research by the International Council on Clean Transportation, private jets produced up to 21.5 million tons of carbon pollution in 2023. This heat-trapping gas plays a pivotal role in driving global temperatures higher. 

"Private jets are a surprisingly large source of air and climate pollution," said Daniel Sitompul, Aviation Fellow at the ICCT, per a press release. "A typical private jet emits as many greenhouse gases each year as 177 passenger cars or nine heavy-duty highway trucks."

Super Bowl attendees face backlash after new data exposes shocking scene at airport: 'Hypocrisy visualized'

[what if 1,671]

Story by Thalia Oosthuizen

. . . 

New Cars Can Report Dangerous Driving Automatically.

Most people are surprised to learn this, but many modern vehicles have advanced technology that allows vehicle owners to review data on things such as how fast they drive, hard braking, and collisions. Some share it with insurance companies or emergency services after a crash.
You don’t have to opt in for all of it. Your driving habits are not as private as they used to be. Knowing this may change the way you view aggressive driving. Safe driving protects more than just your safety.

- MSN

providing "snapshots" doesn't supply context. what is seen as "aggressive driving" can EASILY be entirely irrelevant. this reminds me of how insurance companies . . . nevermind.

[what if 1,671]

On 4/12/2025 at 7:34 PM, what if said:

the electronics part will be the bear, and possibly a very large one

Millions of cars are recalled after bursting into flames.

More than 1.5 million vehicles have been recalled so far this year due to a risk of the car bursting into flames, even while turned off, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Over the last several months, drivers of certain Jeep Gladiators, Jeep Wranglers, Kia Tellurides and BMW 530e xDrives have been warned to park their vehicles away from other cars or buildings due to the risk of their car igniting.

The warnings, known as “park outside” recalls, have become more frequent over the last few years as cars are built with more electronics – and face more trouble cooling down.

In the first seven months of 2026 alone, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued 17 “park outside” campaigns.

Jeff Ebsch, a North Dakota resident, knows what it’s like to experience the frightening moment a car suddenly erupts into flames. Late last year, he walked into his garage to find his 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe on fire – unbeknownst to him, the vehicle had a “park outside” recall on it, WDay RadioNow reported.

Ebsch isn’t the only one who has faced that type of danger, and likely will not be the last.

The “park outside” recalls are meant to warn drivers of what are referred to as “key-off fires,” Frank Borris, a former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigator, told the Washington Post.

Millions of cars are recalled after bursting into flames

i've never heard of an ICE car bursting into flames with the ignition in the off position.

in my opinion this sounds like a design flaw rather than some inherent property of battery vehicles. smaller gauge wire and more effective heat sinking will eliminate a lot of this. (smaller gauge equals a larger wire diameter).