Rushing to ban electric vehicles is an extreme reaction, creating 'false security'

No fire, electric cars still get a bad reputation

After the mini apartment fire on Khuong Ha Street ( Hanoi ), electric vehicles suddenly became the "culprit", although the authorities have not yet made an official conclusion on the cause of the fire. Worried about the risk of fire and explosion, many mini apartments, boarding houses, and even some large apartments in Hanoi immediately issued regulations prohibiting charging vehicles in basements or parking lots.

"' The apartment building where I live also gave tenants a deadline of 2 months to switch to a gasoline car or they will not be allowed to park their car anymore. Now I don't know what to do when my husband and I have 2 electric cars, " said Ms. Tra My, who currently lives in a mini apartment on Hao Nam Street (Dong Da District).

The situation of Mr. Ngoc Tuan (Hai Ba Trung district) is even more ironic when last night he was forced to bring his electric motorbike to his apartment on the 11th floor to charge the battery because the building management board forbade charging in the basement. Some motorbikes have removable batteries, so the owner still has to bring the battery to his room to charge.

" If electric vehicles were so flammable, the world would have eliminated them a long time ago. Electric vehicles, which were once encouraged to be used to protect the environment, are now discriminated against by many people," Mr. Tuan was indignant.

Meanwhile, according to information from Mr. NPĐ, the security guard of the mini apartment building where the fire occurred and also the first person to discover the incident, " initially the fire came from the electrical outlet, not from the electric bike that was plugged in to charge because this is strictly prohibited in the apartment building," said Mr. Đ.

Thus, it can be seen that "blaming" the cause of the fire on the electric car is completely emotional.

Vội vàng cấm xe điện là phản ứng cực đoan, tạo nên sự 'an toàn giả' - Ảnh 1. — Ho Chi Minh City is planning to develop a plan to provide free support for some people to inspect their motorbikes and change their old internal combustion engine vehicles to new electric vehicles.

Regarding the wave of boycotting electric vehicles, Dr. Nguyen Si Dung, former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office, assessed that the consequences of the fire on Khuong Ha Street were too serious, so it is understandable that people are cautious and on guard. From a positive perspective, Dr. Nguyen Si Dung said that the increased awareness of fire prevention in the whole society is a good thing. However, banning electric vehicles is too extreme, even illegal.

The former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office said that electric vehicles are a type of vehicle that the State allows to be produced, traded and used. To be put on the market, the vehicles must undergo a rigorous inspection process and meet all technical standards on safety, environment and fire prevention.

As a legally recognized means of transport, electric vehicles can be circulated and used anywhere, equally with other means of transport. At the same time, electric vehicles are also allowed to be charged in places that ensure fire and explosion safety, including apartment basements.

" Electric vehicles are legal vehicles, officially recognized by law. No one has the right above the law to ban electric vehicles. The banning of electric vehicles by apartment and boarding house owners is not in accordance with the law," analyzed Dr. Nguyen Si Dung.

Many believe that this may be due to a lack of understanding of the new type of vehicle. Back in 2018, an Attila scooter was identified as the "culprit" of the Carina apartment fire (HCMC) that killed 13 people. However, this does not mean that gasoline motorbikes are banned from use or brought into apartment basements.

Dealing with electric vehicles should be based on understanding.

This is not the first time electric vehicles have been blamed for fires and explosions. However, according to experts, electric vehicles are not as flammable as many people think. In fact, compared to gasoline vehicles, which have higher fire risks due to internal combustion engines, electric vehicles are much safer and less likely to catch fire.

According to Autoinsuranceez , a website that compiles data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USA), the rate of electric vehicle fires is only 25.1 per 100,000 vehicles, compared to 1,529 per 100,000 internal combustion engine vehicles. In other words, the number of gasoline vehicle fires is 61 times higher than that of electric vehicles.

In fact, most branded electric vehicles today, including cars and electric motorbikes, use lithium-ion batteries. This type of battery is researched and developed according to strict technical safety standards, so the risk of fire and explosion is extremely low.

" Electric cars are a new trend and because they are new, people often do not fully understand them. Therefore, electric cars are easily blamed whenever a fire occurs, " said auto expert Le Tho Phu.

Experts also recommend that electric vehicles are a new type of vehicle, users need to clearly understand how to use them and strictly comply with safety regulations. If the vehicles are clearly inspected for quality and users comply with charging regulations, the risk is very low. In many cases, the risk does not come from the vehicle itself but from the user's incorrect operation.

According to many experts, switching to electric vehicles is an inevitable trend in the world as well as in Vietnam. It is necessary to accurately and comprehensively recognize the risks of fire and explosion that may occur when using electric vehicles in particular and electrical equipment in general. For example, construction planning, power grid systems, fire prevention and fighting infrastructure, etc. to have preventive solutions.

If we only focus on blaming electric vehicles as the cause of fires and explosions, we are creating a "false sense of security" because the fundamental and root problems are being ignored. Especially when the whole society is confused about electric vehicles, the management agencies must act soon to reassure public opinion as well as eliminate baseless speculations and regulations.

" A segment of the population lacking information and knowledge may react negatively to electric vehicles, which can be understood. If the management agency also sees electric vehicles as a cause of fire and explosion and issues banning documents, it is illegal. More importantly, this also goes against a major policy of the State, which is to encourage electric vehicles to protect the environment, towards a green and sustainable economy, " said Dr. Nguyen Si Dung.

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