Tens of thousands of gallons: That’s the amount of water it takes to extinguish one electric car fire. As electric vehicles become more common on our roads — accessible 50% of total new car sales by 2030 — firefighters are still having a hard time getting the proper training on how to put out these extremely intense fires quickly and effectively.
Vox did an in-depth look at EV fires. The publication focuses on Teslas, but that doesn’t really do justice since all EVs have fire issues. it lost common engine a few tries to fix fire problems with the Chevy Bolt, at one point instructing owners not to park inside garages or near structures and only charge their vehicles a certain amount. And these are cars that haven’t even been in an accident. They just go up randomly.
As the EV increases, it actually runs thanks to all the energy stored in the battery. The words Vox:
The first moments of a tram fire can be relatively quiet, with only smoke billowing from underneath the vehicle. But as heat escapes take place, a bright orange flame can quickly engulf an entire car. And because EV batteries hold an incredible amount of stored energy, one of these fires can get so hot. nearly 5000 degrees Degrees F. Even if the flame appears to have gone out, latent heat can still propagate in the cells of the battery, creating the risk that the vehicle could catch fire a few days later. a firefighter so challenge trick the birthday candle to re-light after blowing out.
Because EV fires are different, EV fires pose new problems. Firefighters often try to put out car fires by suffocating them. They can use foam extinguishers filled with substances like carbon dioxide that can absorb oxygen, or use fire blankets designed to put out flames. But because EV fires are not fueled by oxygen from the air, this method is not effective. Instead, firefighters have to use a lot of water to cool the battery. This is especially complicated when EV fires occur far from fire hydrants or if the local fire department has only a limited number of engines. Salt water, extremely efficient at conducting electricity, can make the situation even worse.
Even if EV fires are eventually extinguished, they can flare up again. Last year, a Tesla Model S caught fire at a scrap yard weeks after being involved in an accident, auto blog report. Firefighters eventually pushed the whole thing into a pit filled with water to put out the flames.
When VoxTesla’s title may have unfairly targeted Tesla, some of the automaker’s fire problems are due to “great” design, not physical problems. For example, electric door handles on Teslas are the subject of a lawsuit after a year Driver stuck in a burning Model S died after the collision. And last May, a Tesla driver had to kick out a window to get out of his burning car after the car stalled, displayed an error message and started smoking. Reuters report.
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It doesn’t help that Tesla, which sell more Electric vehicles more than any other auto company in the US, is not exactly about to appear in training and information materials for firefighters. The words Vox:
In his long and wide-ranging message, McConnell also explains what Tesla can and cannot offer. He offered online training sessions but was unable to arrange in-person training because McConnell explained he had “too many requests”. A diagram for the Model X implies that there is magnesium in a part of the vehicle that does not, in fact, contain magnesium. There’s no video on how to get rid of the company’s Model Y cars (rescue is a firefighter’s term for removing someone from a finished vehicle). It would be difficult, McConnell added, to get a training vehicle for Austin firefighters to practice with, since Tesla is a “make-to-order manufacturer.” Most of Tesla’s scrap vehicles are recycled at the company’s Fremont plant, he said, though a car could be available if one of Tesla’s engineering vehicles or fleet fails. .
McConnell’s lengthy email reflects the current approach to streetcar firefighting and the fact that fire departments across the country are still learning best practices. Even now, there is no consensus on the best approach. Some firefighters have considered use cranes to lift burning electric cars into huge pools of water, although some automakers discourage submerging the entire vehicle. Rosenbauer, a major manufacturer of firefighting and firefighting equipment, designed a new nozzle penetrate the battery case and spray water directly on the damaged cells, although some official car manufacturer instructions say that firefighters should not attempt to break the battery. Alfie Green, the Detroit Fire Department’s training director, said another factor that needs to be considered is that there are new models released every year and there are specific instructions on how to disconnect cars. different.
First of all, I really enjoy the image of firefighters drowning a burning car being towed into a bucket of water. It has a sort of carnival game ringing into it.
Read the full report properly here.
