Banning gasoline cars and promoting electric vehicles – a solution for the environment, but are people ready for the “new threat” called lithium batteries?

When the Government issued Directive 20/CT-TTg with a specific roadmap to ban gasoline-powered motorcycles from 2026 and restrict gasoline/diesel cars from 2028–2030, many considered it a positive sign for environmental protection. However, there is a question that every citizen, every city, and every policymakers should confront:

👉 Have we truly prepared adequately for the “post-gasoline car era”?

❓ Are electric vehicles safer than gasoline vehicles?

Mechanically, electric vehicles can reduce the risk of fire and explosion from gasoline – which is highly flammable and can easily spread fires. However, instead of gasoline, we are now carrying a “chemical bomb”: Lithium-ion batteries.

These are high-energy-density batteries that are very sensitive to:

**Physical impacts (falls, minor collisions)**

**Overheating (during charging, parking in the sun)**

**Technical failures (incorrect charging, faulty batteries, substandard chargers)**

The consequences?

The battery can spontaneously ignite, explode, produce toxic smoke, and the fire spreads extremely quickly.

Once a fire starts, it cannot be extinguished with water, fire extinguishers, or ordinary CO₂.

❓ So what questions should people ask when switching to electric vehicles?

Does the area where I live (house, apartment, parking garage) have a safe space for charging electric vehicles?

If a car catches fire due to a lithium battery, do I – or the security/apartment building staff – have any equipment to handle it promptly?

Are fire extinguishers at home, in parking lots, or at charging stations suitable for lithium battery fires? Or are they only suitable for gasoline or diesel fires?

If all the answers are “unclear,” then that represents a serious safety gap in the current green transportation transition.

✅ Expert’s Solution:

I’m not discussing whether or not to drive electric vehicles – that’s an irreversible trend. But I assert:

“When carrying a lithium battery, you need to carry a compatible fire extinguishing solution as well.”

No one wants their car to catch fire. But no one should stand helplessly watching their car burn in the basement of an apartment building simply because they lack the right equipment.

🔍 From a practical standpoint, the fundamental solution is:

Equip areas with high density of electric vehicles with lithium-ion battery fires using specialized fire extinguishers: apartment buildings, garages, parking lots, private homes, charging stations, etc.

Organize training and disseminate knowledge on fire fighting related to lithium-ion batteries to security personnel, building technicians, and residents.

Require new fire safety standards specifically for electric vehicle parking lots and charging stations – the old standards for gasoline/diesel vehicles cannot be applied.

It would be contradictory to promote green vehicles to protect the environment while neglecting the fire safety of those very vehicles.

Safety is not just the responsibility of the fire department. Safety is everyone’s responsibility as we enter a new era – an era without gasoline and diesel.