THE SCIENCE
What is Thermal Runaway?
Thermal runaway is the failure mode behind nearly every lithium-ion battery fire — a self-feeding chain reaction inside a cell. Once heat builds faster than it can escape, it triggers the next reaction, and the next, until the cell vents, ignites, or explodes.
What Causes It?
Physical Damage
Dropped, crushed, punctured, or bent cells, common occurances in shipping, handling, or a crash.
Electrical Abuse
Overcharging, over-discharging, a faulty charger, or an internal short circuit
Age and Wear
Years of charge cycles that gradually degrade the internal barrier between electrodes.
Extreme Heat
High ambient temperature or exposure to an external fire.
Defects
While manufacturing defect are rare, a compromised cell can fail even under normal use.
WHY IT'S DANGEROUS
A single bad cell can become a much bigger problem.
As internal temperature climbs, a battery's protective layers break down — releasing heat and gas that raise the temperature further. Well before any flame is visible, the cell vents a mix of flammable and toxic gases. By ignition, the reaction is already moving too fast to stop by hand.
01
Starts from the inside, often with no external spark or warning sign.
02
Spreads fast. One failing cell can heat its neighbors until they fail too.
03
Releases toxic gas before & during the fire - a hazard before anything even burns.
04
Hard to stop. Traditional extinguishers & water don't reliably prevent reignition
WHY SMOKE ALARMS MISS IT
Detection built for gas, not smoke.
Smoke detectors sense airborne particulate after something is already burning. Heat detectors trigger only once temperatures spike — often after ignition. Neither is built to notice the gases a battery releases while it's still just venting. Soteria Sense is built specifically to catch that earlier signal.
Traditional Smoke Alarm
Detects particulate smoke — after ignition
Heat Detector
Triggers on temperature spike — often after ignition
Soteria Sense
Detects COâ‚‚ / Hâ‚‚ / VOC vent gas — before ignition
HOW IT WORKS
Purpose-built for lithium-ion vent gas.
Soteria Sense is a standalone gas detector — not a repurposed smoke or industrial gas sensor.
Detects the right signals
Onboard sensors continuously monitor for COâ‚‚, Hâ‚‚, and VOCs — the specific gases li-ion cells release when venting.
Alerts on-site
Audible alarm and visual light indicator warn anyone nearby the moment a vent event is detected.
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Alerts remotely
The companion app sends real-time alerts anywhere — critical for overnight charging or unattended sites.
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Detected in under a minute, even 9 feet away
In controlled testing, cells were deliberately driven into thermal runaway at three distances from the device. Across every cell type and distance tested, Soteria Sense picked up the vent gas in well under a minute and a half.
WHO ITS FOR
Anywhere lithium-ion batteries are charged, stored, used, or serviced.
EV & Hybrid Repair Shops
Warehouse & Distribution Centers
Hospitals & Senior Care Facilities
EV, E-bike & Scooter Fleet Charging
Power Tool & Equipment Rental Companies
Residential Device Charging Areas