Experts Counter EV Safety Concerns with Data: Lower Fire Risk Than Gas Cars, Hidden Door Handles Meet New National Standards

Recently, at a seminar titled "New Energy Vehicle Safety Standards and Building Trust for Global Expansion," multiple experts addressed public concerns about the safety of new energy vehicles (NEVs) with data. Statistics show that the fire incidence rate of NEVs dropped from 1.85 per 10,000 vehicles in 2021 to 0.96 per 10,000 in 2023—now lower than that of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Experts noted that public anxiety largely stems from "survivorship bias" and the "spotlight effect." Regarding hidden door handles, over 10 million NEVs in China had adopted this design by the end of 2024. Current safety standards already address associated risks, and the newly updated national standards further emphasize "redundancy" and "safety baselines," mandating a physical mechanical override mechanism. Moreover, due to battery packs being integrated into the vehicle chassis, NEVs generally exhibit superior structural rigidity compared to conventional ICE vehicles. Experts stressed that high-speed accidents are primarily caused by speeding or traffic violations—not vehicle quality issues.