We encountered several posts on X sharing a video purportedly depicting the aftermath of a collision involving 2 electric vehicles (EVs). The video shows what appears to be vehicles engulfed in fire with multiple explosions occurring.
The posts on X seem to suggest that the video serves as evidence of the dangers associated with EVs and EV batteries.
Does the video show an explosion of 2 EVs?
We conducted a Google reverse image search of screenshots extracted from the video to verify the origins of the footage. Our searches led to media reports of a traffic accident that occurred in July 2013 in Moscow involving a collision between 2 vehicles, resulting in an explosion and fire.
Media reports regarding the accident, which took place on a motorway in Moscow, state that the collision involved an Isuzu truck transporting gas cylinders and a bus. The explosions observed in the video footage occurred after the gas cylinders caught on fire due to the impact of the collision.
Furthermore, we also discovered several videos which were uploaded to YouTube, that corroborate the occurrence of the accident between a truck and a bus and show that the explosions were caused by the gas cylinders.
There is no evidence to suggest that the vehicles involved were electric or that the explosion was caused by EVs’ batteries. Therefore, the claim that the video shows the aftermath of an explosion between 2 electric vehicles is likely false.
Electric vehicles and fires
In our searches for the origin of the video, we came across fact-checks conducted in 2023 showing that a similar claim – that the explosion was caused by the batteries in 2 EVs which collided- has been circulating on social media. However, these fact-checks debunked the claim.
Misinformation and disinformation about EVs being a fire risk has been circulating online in recent years, including claims that EV’s batteries make them more combustible than gasoline-powered cars. Black Dot Research has debunked similar claims vilifying EVs, such as the false claim that London’s buses have begun to spontaneously combust due to their electric batteries. There was no evidence to support the assertion that electric batteries are more prone to fire.
This incident highlights the potential for misleading claims about emerging technologies to circulate, underscoring the need to verify and fact-check the claims we may see on social media. It is crucial to critically assess such claims to ensure accurate information dissemination, especially in the rapidly evolving landscape of technological advancements.
