Diesel vehicle blamed for UK fire – not an EV

An EV expert is impressed a United Kingdom news outlet quickly reported a London Luton Airport carpark fire believed to have affected nearly 1500 vehicles, collapsed the building the carpark was in, and put at least five people in hospital, was caused by a diesel vehicle rather than an EV.

David Watts says on LinkedIn he had recently done a presentation about how EVs are presented in some sections of the media, with fire one of the topics covered.

Following the Luton fire, Watts says he was scouring media for signs of EV-related comments, with media around the world reporting the Luton incident.

“So it was slightly surprising to find that The Sun has actually quickly reported that it was not an EV but a diesel car that is the cause,” says Watts, adding reports attributed to Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer Andrew Hopkinson the fire was considered accidental and started in a diesel-powered vehicle which had not long arrived at the airport.

“It was not at EV,” Hopkinson is reported as saying.

EV fires are rare with vehicle fires usually caused by fossil-fuel cars, say some media like Australia’s The Conversation.

A fire which destroyed car carrier the Fremantle Highway was initially blamed on an EV, but The Maritime Executive explains the cause is still unknown and investigations are continuing.

It points to 498 EVs and hybrids among 3784 vehicles on board.