Oct 11, 2024 08:25 PM
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2024.../104455856
EXCERPTS: Do EVs explode when submerged in salt water? They can catch fire, but not often.
Emma Sutcliffe is an EV battery fires specialist and the project director for EV FireSafe, a private company funded by the Department of Defence to research EV battery fires and advise emergency responders.
Lithium-ion batteries that power EVs can catch fire when submerged in salt water, Ms Sutcliffe said. But this happens relatively rarely, and typically only when the battery has been submerged over days or weeks.
When hurricanes make landfall, their strong winds push water inland, causing an abnormal rise in sea level and extensive coastal flooding. Prior to Hurricane Milton, there had been a total of 34 reports worldwide of EV battery fires following salt-water submersion — and of those, four were unverified, Ms Sutcliffe said.
Twenty-eight occurred due to hurricanes, one during a very violent storm, and five when EVs were accidentally submerged at boat ramps. Whether a submerged EV catches fire depends on its battery chemistry, battery size, how much charge it held at the time, and whether the car was damaged.
[...] Whether an EV catches fire can also depend on how responders remove the car. If they tow it with its wheels turning, this can generate power and recharge the battery. If the battery cells are damaged, this kick of electricity may be enough to start a fire.
Ms Sutcliffe said EVs were not necessarily more dangerous than internal combustion engine vehicles during natural disasters such as hurricanes. "All vehicles have their own challenges, but we're more used to internal combustion. This is a new thing we're learning with EVs." (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: Do EVs explode when submerged in salt water? They can catch fire, but not often.
Emma Sutcliffe is an EV battery fires specialist and the project director for EV FireSafe, a private company funded by the Department of Defence to research EV battery fires and advise emergency responders.
Lithium-ion batteries that power EVs can catch fire when submerged in salt water, Ms Sutcliffe said. But this happens relatively rarely, and typically only when the battery has been submerged over days or weeks.
When hurricanes make landfall, their strong winds push water inland, causing an abnormal rise in sea level and extensive coastal flooding. Prior to Hurricane Milton, there had been a total of 34 reports worldwide of EV battery fires following salt-water submersion — and of those, four were unverified, Ms Sutcliffe said.
Twenty-eight occurred due to hurricanes, one during a very violent storm, and five when EVs were accidentally submerged at boat ramps. Whether a submerged EV catches fire depends on its battery chemistry, battery size, how much charge it held at the time, and whether the car was damaged.
[...] Whether an EV catches fire can also depend on how responders remove the car. If they tow it with its wheels turning, this can generate power and recharge the battery. If the battery cells are damaged, this kick of electricity may be enough to start a fire.
Ms Sutcliffe said EVs were not necessarily more dangerous than internal combustion engine vehicles during natural disasters such as hurricanes. "All vehicles have their own challenges, but we're more used to internal combustion. This is a new thing we're learning with EVs." (MORE - missing details)