Hybrid Car Explodes In Belgium: Experts Warn Dual Engines More Dangerous

A hybrid conveyance exploded connected Saturday evening while charging successful nan West Flemish municipality of Izegem, causing terrible harm to a adjacent flat building and reigniting statement astir nan information of hybrid technology.

Fire crews were quickly connected nan segment to incorporate nan blaze, which collapsed retired successful an underground car park. No fatalities were reported, but nan blast near nan residential building pinch extended structural damage.

According to Bastiaan Reymer, teacher successful Automotive Technology astatine Thomas More University, speaking to VRT News, specified incidents stay exceptional. “Cases for illustration this are highly rare,” he said, “but unfortunately, they can’t beryllium prevented entirely.”

Reymer explained that modern electrical vehicles are mostly little apt to ignite than accepted petrol-fuelled cars. However, nan creation of hybrids – combining some a artillery strategy and a combustion motor pinch a substance vessel – creates further points of vulnerability. If an electrical responsibility triggers a fire, nan power tin ignite nan petrol, expanding nan consequence of explosion.

Built-in information systems

Vehicle manufacturers person invested heavy successful information mechanisms intended to trim specified risks. Most modern hybrids characteristic automatic shut-off systems that disconnect nan powerfulness proviso if an anomaly is detected during charging aliases operation. Even so, experts admit that it is intolerable to destruct threat completely. Small accumulation faults, deterioration and tear, aliases harm sustained successful usage tin occasionally lead to failures.

The detonation successful Izegem, though alarming, is not without precedent. Over nan past fewer years, respective different hybrid and plug-in vehicles person been progressive successful akin incidents worldwide, each highlighting nan unsocial information challenges of dual-power systems.

Other reported hybrid car fires

In Finland, investigators judge a hybrid car charging successful a Tampere car parkland triggered a 2025 blaze that destroyed much than 30 vehicles. Earlier that aforesaid twelvemonth successful Australia, a BMW hybrid caught occurrence successful a nationalist car parkland astatine Sanctuary Cove, engulfing 3 adjacent vehicles earlier emergency services could respond.

Although rare, these events person prompted renewed calls for amended artillery monitoring, somesthesia control, and emergency-response training. Firefighters crossed Europe and beyond person been adapting their techniques to grip high-voltage artillery fires, which tin reignite moreover aft appearing extinguished.

Perspective and prevention

Safety analysts accent that nan wide consequence remains highly low. Statistically, hybrid and electrical vehicles drawback occurrence acold little often than those powered solely by petrol aliases diesel. Nevertheless, erstwhile incidents do occur, they thin to pull sizeable nationalist attraction because of their strength and nan trouble of extinguishing lithium-ion fires.

For drivers, experts urge regular maintenance, pursuing shaper guidance connected charging, and acting promptly connected immoderate callback notices. The Izegem lawsuit serves arsenic a reminder that while exertion continues to advance, nary conveyance is wholly immune from consequence – and information vigilance remains basal arsenic nan world transitions towards cleaner forms of transport.