German Scientists Claim EV Battery Fires Could Soon Be History
In the laboratories of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) in Bremen, researchers have developed an invention that could transform electric vehicle safety more than any previous solution. The new method — with the daunting name dynamic impedance spectroscopy — can monitor the health and temperature of each individual battery cell in real time, doing so with greater accuracy than ever before.
Currently, EVs rely on temperature sensors that measure heat only at specific points — and with unavoidable delays. Fraunhofer scientists have found a way to measure what happens inside a battery literally on the fly: during charging and discharging, a multi-frequency signal is overlaid on the current, delivering up to a million readings per second. These data are processed instantly, stripping away excess information and leaving a precise, real-time picture of the battery’s condition.
If a cell begins to overheat, the system can immediately isolate it from the rest of the pack, rendering traditional temperature sensors almost redundant. This means a potentially flammable situation never has the chance to escalate into disaster, as a single cell can be swiftly shut down.
The benefits extend far beyond electric cars. The same approach could be used in renewable energy storage systems, electric aircraft or ships — anywhere battery reliability is critical. Importantly, the method is not limited to lithium-ion cells; it can also be applied to next-generation technologies such as solid-state or sodium-ion batteries.
Fraunhofer researchers say this could herald a new era in battery technology. While it is often noted that EVs statistically catch fire less frequently than combustion-engine cars, this innovation could make the risk virtually negligible. The only question is when automakers will integrate the solution into their models.
When that happens, the danger of EV battery fires could be relegated to history — on the same shelf where hand-cranked engines now gather dust.
