Do Cars Really EXPLODE Like in Movies?

Exploding cars in movies are pure adrenaline — but how real is the chaos? In this explosive (yet totally safe) episode of Debunked, we dig into the science of combustion, crashes, and Hollywood exaggeration to reveal the truth behind cinematic car explosions.
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Whether it’s gas-powered vehicles, electric cars, or giant LPG tankers, movies would have you believe they’re all ticking time bombs. But how often do these vehicles actually explode in real life? And what needs to happen for a car to blow sky high?

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We investigate:
🚗 Why internal combustion engines don’t explode
⚡ What makes electric vehicles catch fire
💥 How rare — but real — LPG tanker explosions occur
🧪 The chemical science behind explosions
🔥 And what Hollywood gets wildly wrong!

0:50 - How an explosion works
01:04 - How a car engine works
02:56 - Gasoline or petrol isn't explosive
04:08 - Learn about the Brilliant App
05:32 - The misconception about the Ford Pinto and how they caught fire
08:00 - Thermal Runaway in electric vehicles
08:43 - Vapor Cloud Explosions

Stick around for the facts, the myths, and a few fireballs of truth.

👨‍🔬 Debunked — where we sort science from cinema.

Join us as we learn the process behind an explosion, what makes engines work and how fires and explosions in gasoline, electric and LPG vehicles can occur!

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