The EV safety questions we should be asking

The Straits Times, The EV safety questions we should be asking

By Professor Lim Seh Chun (Adviser for Special Projects, Office of Provost, SUTD) and Shreejit Changaroth

As more electric vehicles zoom across Singapore’s roads, drivers’ knowledge and regulatory oversight matter more.

In just three years, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on Singapore’s roads has grown exponentially. The transformation has been swift enough to catch even the most observant individuals off guard.

For the first time, EVs surpassed hybrid and combustion engine models in new car registrations.

EVs accounted for 57.6 per cent of the 13,322 new cars registered in the first three months of 2026.

In 2025, 23,684 EVs were registered in Singapore, representing about 45 per cent of all cars registered that year – up from 34 per cent in 2024 and just 18 per cent in 2023.

Charging stations have also become so commonplace that it is now almost an oddity for a shopping centre not to have at least one.

The surge is not merely the result of an environmentally conscious consumer culture. Rebates, falling battery costs and cheaper Chinese models have made EVs increasingly price-competitive with equivalent internal combustion engine, or ICE, models, while manufacturers continue to introduce attention-grabbing sleek models.

Early concerns about range and charging infrastructure have largely receded. But lately, the discussion has shifted back to another important issue that surfaced in the early days of EV adoption: safety.

In the last few months, there were several Straits Times Forum letters discussing EV fire risks, whether EVs should carry fire extinguishers, and whether Singapore should examine new safety rules emerging overseas – including China’s recent regulations requiring that EV doors remain operable during emergencies.

Such chatter is also taking place on social media platforms. Reports of vehicle fires are often followed by a common question: Was it an EV? The report of a vehicle fire at Buangkok Crescent on March 23, which led to about 20 people being evacuated from an HDB block, is just one example.

These conversations and questions reflect a broader reality: EVs are fundamentally different machines from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. As adoption accelerates, both owners and the authorities must better understand these differences to avoid blind spots in knowledge and regulation.

A different safety profile 
According to the latest statistics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the number of EV fires rose from one in 2024 to four in 2025. With the near doubling of EV numbers on Singapore’s roads by end-2025 compared to a year earlier, the number of incidents remains small.

SCDF has indicated that three of the four EV fires in 2025 were linked to electrical faults involving the battery.

The challenge is really the lack of data for EV fires given that these vehicles are still relatively new to the market compared to the more established ICE vehicles.
 

Data shows that ICE vehicle fires usually occur when leaking petrol comes into contact with hot surfaces, such as exhaust pipes/mufflers or engine surfaces. They can also be caused by electrical faults.

EVs, however, introduce different types of systems and risks. There are two electrical networks in EVs: the low-voltage system which is supplied by the traditional 12-volt battery found in every passenger car (including ICE vehicles) and the high-voltage electrical system supplied by lithium ion-based battery packs rated at 400 volts or 800 volts in the latest EVs.

All the electrical interior accessories, lights, hi-fi system and air-conditioning blower operate on the 12-voltage network. The high-voltage system, on the other hand, is what powers the drive motor. An electrical fire can result from a serious fault in either of the networks. Detailed findings of the root cause of vehicle fires in each instance are not readily reported or easily available.

But one of the most important safety differences lies in something very simple: how to exit the vehicle during an emergency.

Many modern EVs use electrically operated door release switches rather than traditional mechanical handles. In normal conditions, this design works smoothly. However, in a severe collision where electrical systems are damaged, these electronic door releases may not function properly. In such cases, occupants must rely on the manual mechanical release.

Most EVs do include such a manual override. But in some models, the lever is hidden or difficult to locate. In certain designs, it is even concealed behind trim pieces that must first be removed.

In a calm environment, this may be manageable. In a real emergency – exacerbated by smoke, heat and stress – the few extra seconds of confusion could mean the difference between life and death. This is why EV owners must know exactly where the manual door release mechanisms are located in their vehicle before an emergency occurs.

But it’s not just about the emergency situations. Everyday maintenance is critical.

Unlike traditional ICE vehicles, EVs operate on high-voltage electrical systems and sophisticated battery management technologies. How they are operated, charged and maintained affects not only performance but safety.

This also points to a broader question of whether the current regulatory framework around safety is keeping pace with the still-evolving EV technology.

Regulatory oversight
With EV adoption accelerating, regulators should perhaps start looking at some new areas of oversight.

More owners will eventually turn to independent workshops instead of authorised agents for servicing. Unlike traditional cars, EVs operate on complex high-voltage systems – often 400-volt or even 800-volt batteries.

Improper handling poses serious safety risks.

This makes rigorous training and certification for EV technicians essential, ensuring workshops have the expertise to service these vehicles safely as the EV fleet grows.

Another area that should be looked at pertains to the performance of EVs as compared to ICE vehicles.

It is not uncommon these days to witness EVs making swift, sometimes, dangerous lane changes along the expressway. It is therefore important that motorists adopt a different driving style when handling EVs.

Perhaps the curriculum of driver training schools in Singapore could include educating new drivers on the different performance characteristics of EVs and ICE cars, and hence the need to adopt a different driving style when driving EVs.

The inculcation of how best to drive an EV in these new drivers should help to ensure road safety keeps pace with evolving technology.

New technology, new mindset

EVs are here to stay. By 2030, ICE vehicles can no longer be imported for sale in Singapore.

But electric vehicles are not simply cleaner cars. They are a different category of machines with different physics, failure modes and demands on the people who drive them.

Current and prospective EV owners need to be aware of the unique driving characteristics and different maintenance routines to ensure that knowledge and oversight move at the same speed.

The sooner we embrace EV technology, the better we can all truly begin to enjoy the multitude of benefits it promises to offer – safely.

• Professor Lim Seh Chun is adviser, Special Projects, Office of Provost at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), as well as adviser to the SUTD EV Club. Shreejit Changaroth is a mechanical engineer and a veteran contributing motoring journalist.