Charging Stations as Safety Guardians: Can Big Data Alleviate Electric Vehicle Fire Concerns?

This year, several electric vehicle brands have experienced incidents of spontaneous combustion, bringing the safety of power batteries back into the spotlight. The safety of these batteries has become a crucial factor influencing the consumption of electric vehicles, with a particular focus on monitoring during operation. The charging process, often overlooked, is now emerging as a key area for industry breakthroughs. Industry insiders report that leading domestic charging station operator, Telai Electric, has utilized big data technology to issue early warnings for 138,000 potential safety incidents.

The “Second Identity” of Charging Stations

Traditionally, charging stations have been viewed merely as energy transfer facilitators. However, with the number of electric vehicles surpassing 20 million, their value as high-frequency interaction points for vehicles is being reevaluated. According to a battery engineer from a new energy vehicle company, “Every time a vehicle charges, data such as battery voltage, temperature, and state of charge (SOC) is recorded at the charging station. If this dynamic data can be analyzed in real-time, it’s akin to creating a ‘charging electrocardiogram’ for each battery.” Currently, some domestic companies have integrated edge computing and AI diagnostic models into charging systems, establishing a new mode where “charging equals health check.” When a vehicle is charging, the system can analyze hundreds of parameters and compare them with historical data in the cloud to detect any signs of battery anomalies.

Yin Yupeng, the director of battery big data at Telai Electric, stated, “Our company has invested in safety protection during the charging process for over 10 years. Initially relying on passive responses to abnormal voltage and temperature data, we can now utilize large model technology to analyze 20 billion parameters and assess 256 dimensions of battery characteristics, achieving a 99.9% accuracy rate in identifying high-risk charging scenarios.” This indicates that if a vehicle is charging at a Telai Electric station, it can effectively identify and interrupt charging for any battery with high-risk characteristics.

There are several charging station brands with safety protection features. For instance, the official website of Xiaojuchongdian, a subsidiary of Didi, describes its ability to provide four levels of protection at the model, vehicle, battery, and cell levels, utilizing real-time monitoring to trigger preventive measures.

How Can Data Help Predict Fire Risks?

Investigations reveal that the technology’s core lies in two layers of protective logic: the protection of charging equipment and the protection of charging big data. Charging stations are equipped with high-precision sensors and algorithm models that collect and analyze key indicators such as battery pack temperature and voltage during the charging process. If there are significant anomalies, such as overvoltage, pressure differential, overheating, or temperature differences, charging is immediately halted. However, some vehicles exhibit more complex data anomalies before combustion, necessitating deeper computation using cloud platforms, which is where the big data protection comes into play. Advanced AI models analyze multifaceted charging data, including region, temperature, charging rate, heating status, and historical data, to uncover hidden charging hazards.

Is charging data analysis truly effective? Yin Yupeng showcased a protective case through the backend charging logs: “A vehicle owner from Linyi, Shandong, detected a temperature difference of 16 degrees during charging on May 27, 2024, exceeding the average maximum temperature difference for the same model in that area (4.94 degrees). The charging logs from June 4-11 indicated a peak temperature of 56 degrees. This parameter showed a persistent upward trend within the past month. We promptly sent him a high-risk warning, advising him to have his vehicle checked at a 4S store. Upon inspection, he discovered that several batteries in the pack had swollen and leaked. The consequences could have been dire if he had continued to drive.”

One warning averted a potential disaster. Ms. Li, a car owner in Shanghai, shared a warning message from Telai Electric on her phone: “Your vehicle was detected with abnormal battery voltage during charging on March 18; immediate maintenance is advised!” After inspection at a 4S store, it was confirmed there was a consistency issue with the voltage, with one cell potentially leading to thermal runaway if used further. “Having this system gives me peace of mind; I check the battery health score in the app every time I charge,” Ms. Li expressed.

Experts in the new energy sector noted, “The distributed nature of the charging station network allows for cross-brand and cross-model data collaboration more easily than vehicle-mounted battery management systems (BMS). The data capabilities of charging operators effectively fill the monitoring gaps of individual car manufacturers.” They further emphasized that charging operators, as third parties, can provide more objective risk warnings to users without the bias of vehicle reputation concerns, making them well-suited for an industry oversight role.

As incidents of electric vehicle fires continue to concern the public, a technological innovation centered around charging stations is reshaping safety protocols. In the competitive landscape of new energy vehicles, the intelligence and safety capabilities of charging infrastructure will increasingly define market maturity, surpassing even the importance of driving range.