Glossary / General

thermal runaway

24 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

Thermal runaway is when something gets so hot that it keeps getting hotter and can cause a fire. In electric cars, this happens when one battery cell catches fire and makes the others catch fire too.

Technical Definition

Thermal runaway refers to a situation where an increase in temperature causes a further increase in temperature, often leading to catastrophic failure. In electric vehicles, this can occur when a battery cell fails and ignites, causing adjacent cells to also fail and ignite, creating a dangerous fire hazard.

Hear It Discussed

"...Well you pierce one of them and it catches fire and then the 10 around it are probably all damaged. Thermal runaway is the term."
MORE Cars That Need A Comeback (N-Z), Susceptible To Greatness, Waiting Too Long | Episode 1,014 Everyday Driver Car Debate 09:55

"EVs don't have that problem. But with current battery technology, we know there can be thermal runaway in significant accidents, not in China because the new laws are coming in to do with battery..."
DAILY: Ford Updates Puma Gen-E, BYD To Export Flash Charging and Anti-EV Propaganda Hurting Buyers | 10 Mar 2026 EV News Daily - Technology and Business of EVs 08:29

"...if they are in a serious enough crash, if you do get thermal runaway, it happens so fast that if the intense heat doesn't kill you..."
Chinese door handles...and why they're changing, plus Gordie's hair issue The Driver's Show 26:40