No you didn’t read the title wrong, this really happened.

A toaster placed under an electric vehicle by its owner to warm up its battery likely caused a fire that destroyed the car and damaged a nearby house in southern Denmark, police said Monday.

Police said that they “strongly discourage” people to use that method to heat power cells.

“The cause of the fire is most likely to be found in the toaster that the owner of the car had placed under the front of his car to keep the battery warm,” police said in a daily report.

You read this right. A Danish electric vehicle owner tried to use a toaster to warm up his electric car’s battery while the vehicle was in his house’s carport. Consequently, his car and then house went up in flames.

Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the AP reports the car owners is going to be fined due to potentially damaging a house.

It should be noted that while government data indicates combustion engine cars do catch fire more often than electric vehicles, the information comparing electric vehicles to gas-powered ones is not comprehensive enough to determine which of the two are more flammable including more dangerous to owners.

When electric vehicles go up in flames, they are the subject of news reports because the cars and trucks are new and take more time and effort to extinguish. Regardless of which kind of vehicle you own, it is important to take the necessary precautions to avoid harming to you or your property.



PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay