Scientific paper ID 2502 : 2024/3

The number of electric buses is steadily increasing at the expense of conventional diesel buses and to date their number exceeds 400 buses in total for Bulgaria and their number will continue to increase with the allocation of funds under EU operational programmers. Despite their obvious advantages in reducing CO2 emissions, there are challenges to be addressed from an engineering point of view relating to fire safety. These relate primarily to rechargeable batteries and the complex chemical and thermal processes that take place within them.

Ignition in an electric bus can occur while it is moving, charging or parked. There is a risk of fire in bus depots where the potential for fire spread between nearby parked vehicles is high.

This report presents general statistics on fire incidents involving electric vehicles. Faults leading to ignition of autonomous electric vehicles are discussed. An analysis of the different faults, causes and type of faults for ignition occurrence is conducted, and the collected statistics are presented in tabular form and systematized in a flowchart of the causes of fire occurrence in autonomous electric vehicles.