Can ignite and explode: the danger lurking in electric vehicle batteries

The CEO of "Rikar", Amnon Shachor, warns in a letter to the Commissioner of Capital Markets and Insurance about a lack of oversight on lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles declared as "total loss". According to him, damaged batteries are transferred between dealers and scrapyards without tracking, and can ignite, emit hazardous materials, and even explode, endangering life and property.

The CEO of "Rikar", Amnon Shachor, sent a letter to the Commissioner of Capital Markets and Insurance, Amit Gal, with a severe warning about the lack of oversight on lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles that have been taken off the road or declared "total loss". According to him, damaged batteries are transferred between dealers and scrapyards without a regulated tracking and accountability mechanism, and can ignite, emit hazardous materials, and even explode. The warning comes against the backdrop of a surge in the number of electric vehicles in Israel: by the end of 2025, about 200,000 private electric vehicles were on the roads, and their number grows by tens of thousands each year. The letter presents incidents from Israel and abroad: in August 2024, a Mercedes EQE battery ignited in an underground parking lot in Incheon, South Korea, damaging about 40 vehicles and cutting off electricity and water to about 500 households. In California, a Tesla Semi truck crash led to a fire that required 189,000 liters of water to extinguish and blocked a highway for 16 hours. In Israel, in August 2026, a Ziker vehicle collided with a wall in a parking lot in Rishon LeZion and the battery ignited. Shachor argues that the main problem arises after the insurance company completes its handling: the vehicle is transferred with the battery to dealers or scrapyards, where the tracking chain ends. "Rikar" calls for establishing a mandatory mechanism including documentation of battery condition, storage threshold conditions, and transfer of non-viable batteries to authorized recycling facilities.