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How Dangerous is it when an E-Auto catches Fire
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:39 am
by DaveBerlin
This problem is not really at present QQ related but might well be worth a read especially if there are e-Cars in the garage at home. This is a report recently issued and appeared in the Press here yesterday. Tests were carried out by a Swiss Research Group EMPA in a Tunnel & Garage - hopefully of interest Dave
“What happens if an electric car burns in a road tunnel or an underground car park? In the Hagerbach test tunnel in Switzerland, Empa researchers and tunnel safety expert Lars Derek Mellert set fire to battery cells of electric cars, analyzed the distribution of soot and smoke gases and the chemical residues in the extinguishing water.”
Fire test in a tunnel :
https://www.empa.ch/web/s604/standard-a ... geId=en_US
Re: How Dangerous is it when an E-Auto catches Fire
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 8:09 am
by nick99
I was reading only yesterday Ford have trouble with their Kuga PHEV models.
https://www-am--online-com.cdn.ampproje ... tery-fires
Re: How Dangerous is it when an E-Auto catches Fire
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 8:57 am
by calnorth
I'd certainly like to know what the UK H&SE/Transport Dept know of this...and how long they've known it. No doubt they have been hanging around Manufacturers Safety Case Development.....I hope?
Keeping the batteries cool and auto shutting the system off at the hint of a battery incident is about it I think. Stopping runaway events.
We rely on the "quality" of design and production in mitigation. What they get from Service records would be of interest...in service incidents? Might be hoping too much there?
Tunnels, Ferries, Garages, Under Parking....anymore? Is the risk less, similar or greater than ICE systems?
Re: How Dangerous is it when an E-Auto catches Fire
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 8:57 am
by MikeGC
well, we've all witnessed the explosive destruction of petrol powered cars - petrol is pretty easy to set fire to, I wonder how hard it is to set fire to the batteries in your Leaf ?
Re: How Dangerous is it when an E-Auto catches Fire
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 9:34 am
by calnorth
Fossil fuels need a fuel/air mix. Batteries overheat/explode breaching their protective casing. Either internal or external shorting. Its what happens after that first event, especially when they're in your pocket/luggage........
AFAIK Batteries are no longer carried by Air Freight...Battery induced fire in hold causing major catastrophic crash in Dubai approx 4 years back.
