svetz
Works in theory! Practice? That's something else
I know... most of you (like me) have seen videos of EVs being test driven through flooded channels on purpose, so you're thinking it's complete nonsense.
I'm also sure there are those willing to pounce on anything AntiEV. Both groups will be interested in the NHTSA information at the bottom of the post.
Anyway ... after hurricane Ian ... Florida Fire chief Patronis (have to love Florida, the title is a political postion, he handles the money and is a retired restaurateur who has never taken a fire course) cited a case of two homes burning down due to an EV catching fire after being flooded. I won't give any links, as it's easy to search for and the tale has been growing to where now EVs are exploding like popcorn. The Sanibel Island fire department has become responsible for removing these time bombs. The hysteria ensuing caused the Sanibel Island fire chief to issue a statement to the effect that EVs are tested for these conditions and owners should just roll them out of their garages until they could be handled (they're swamped by calls).
I haven't been able to find the actual incident report for details. Most cars are totaled after being flooded, and some ICE vehicles do catch fire after being flooded but I don't know how common it is. I can see an EV catching fire if there's corrosion, but how long does that take? I'm guessing the owner tried to start it and a short caught fire.
From Hurricane Sandy reports there were 3 fires in over 4000 partially submerged cars.
It looks like the fires originated from the low-voltage side:
NHTSA responded to Patronis's letter regarding this. The key points were:
Anyway, would like to hear thoughts from knowledgeable people (e.g., fire fighters, engineers) or experiences if your EV was flooded or caught fire.
I'm also sure there are those willing to pounce on anything AntiEV. Both groups will be interested in the NHTSA information at the bottom of the post.
Anyway ... after hurricane Ian ... Florida Fire chief Patronis (have to love Florida, the title is a political postion, he handles the money and is a retired restaurateur who has never taken a fire course) cited a case of two homes burning down due to an EV catching fire after being flooded. I won't give any links, as it's easy to search for and the tale has been growing to where now EVs are exploding like popcorn. The Sanibel Island fire department has become responsible for removing these time bombs. The hysteria ensuing caused the Sanibel Island fire chief to issue a statement to the effect that EVs are tested for these conditions and owners should just roll them out of their garages until they could be handled (they're swamped by calls).
I haven't been able to find the actual incident report for details. Most cars are totaled after being flooded, and some ICE vehicles do catch fire after being flooded but I don't know how common it is. I can see an EV catching fire if there's corrosion, but how long does that take? I'm guessing the owner tried to start it and a short caught fire.
From Hurricane Sandy reports there were 3 fires in over 4000 partially submerged cars.
...In the case of the Toyota's incident, a Prius PHV burned and two other Priuses, a conventional hybrid and a plug-in, just smoldered.
It looks like the fires originated from the low-voltage side:
...the Karmas were not charging at the time of the fire and there were no injuries.[75][76] After an investigation ... the origin of the fire was "residual salt damage inside a Vehicle Control Unit submerged in seawater for several hours. Corrosion from the salt caused a short circuit in the unit, which led to a fire when the Karma's 12-Volt battery fed power into the circuit."
NHTSA responded to Patronis's letter regarding this. The key points were:
- The Tesla emergency response guide includes a section on handling submerged vehicles
- first responders wearing appropriate PPE and self-contained breathing apparatus are protected adequately from toxic gases emitted from EV batteries
- It may be helpful for persons who are not involved in immediate lifesaving missions to identify flooded vehicles with lithium-ion batteries and move them at least 50 feet from any structures, vehicles, or combustibles.
- Test results specific to saltwater submersion show that salt bridges can form within the battery pack and provide a path for short circuit and self-heating. This can lead to fire ignition.
Anyway, would like to hear thoughts from knowledgeable people (e.g., fire fighters, engineers) or experiences if your EV was flooded or caught fire.