EV Survives Missile Strike, Battery Intact
An EV's durability was put to an extreme test in Jerusalem when a BYD Yuan Plus was hit in a missile strike. Remarkably, the vehicle's body remained intact, the doors and electrical systems still worked, and crucially, the battery did not catch fire. For electricians installing home chargers, this is a powerful, real-world example of modern EV battery safety and resilience.
The BYD vehicle's resilience stems from its "Blade Battery," which uses Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry. LFP cathodes are chemically more stable and have a much higher thermal runaway threshold (around 518°F or 270°C) compared to the nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) chemistry used in many other EVs. This inherent stability means they are significantly less prone to overheating and catching fire, even when damaged. The battery's name comes from its design, where long, thin cells are arranged in a blade-like structure directly within the pack. This "cell-to-pack" design increases space utilization by over 50% compared to conventional battery packs and enhances structural rigidity. This design contributes to the overall strength of the vehicle's chassis, which in this case saw its core structure and pillars remain intact despite the blast. The Blade Battery has been subjected to some of the industry's most rigorous safety tests. In the nail penetration test, which simulates a severe internal short circuit from a crash, the Blade Battery did not emit smoke or fire, with its surface temperature only reaching 30-60°C. In contrast, ternary lithium batteries under the same test can exceed 500°C and burn violently. The vehicle model, also sold as the Atto 3, has high marks in standardized crash testing. It received a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, with a 91% score for adult occupant protection and 89% for child occupant protection, noting the passenger compartment remained stable in frontal offset tests. Statistically, electric vehicles are far less likely to catch fire than their gasoline-powered counterparts. Data shows gasoline and diesel cars experience fires at a rate of about 1,530 per 100,000 vehicles, while EVs have a rate of only 25 per 100,000. Other studies show petrol and diesel vehicles are as much as 20 times more likely to catch fire.
