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[deleted] t1_iudjifd wrote

[deleted]

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deltagear t1_iudl5u3 wrote

> fires require more water to extinguish flames

Well there's the problem, throwing water on to a lithium fire is like throwing gas onto a campfire.

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robotobo t1_iue17do wrote

This isn't true with lithium batteries though. Most manufacturers recommend dousing thermal runaway events with water. Not because it smothers the fire, but because it can bring down the temperature enough to stop the event.

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Dr-Beeps t1_iuelqzl wrote

The fire brigades in the Netherlands actually are testing with big containers with water to lift the burning EV car in. They just drown the car.

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happyscrappy t1_iuelcnr wrote

There isn't any of that kind of lithium (elemental lithium) in a lithium ion battery. Lithium ion batteries use lithium salts.

It's like saying water is highly combustible because it has hydrogen in it.

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[deleted] t1_iudlc6g wrote

[deleted]

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strcrssd t1_iuevnax wrote

No, it's not true. It fundamentally misunderstands lithium ion battery technology and the very basics of chemistry.

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morcantium t1_iufcjbc wrote

I agree, it's not true about water acting like gasoline with lithium fires. But it is true they are hard to extinguish. Water doesn't make a lithium fire worse but neither will it extinguish the fire. You've got to spray water on the batteries for up to 90 minutes until the batteries burn out to keep the area cooled off. Or just let it burn and keep people away if that's a feasible option. An electric car can take 20,000 gallons of water (or more) before the fire goes out depending on battery size. They've now got fire blankets designed to contain these fires to help protect surrounding vehicles/buildings but good luck getting close enough to fit one around a burning vehicle. Source: I just went on a firefighters safety course on electric car fires.

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strcrssd t1_iuglzll wrote

Agreed. They're much less likely to catch fire, but when they do they're difficult to put out.

As another commentator posted, fire brigades that deal with a lot of EVs are investigating using water tanks/pools and just lifting the burning vehicles into the water to drown the fire.

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redditdeigy t1_iudpyf5 wrote

Like nuclear power plants. When all good it’s fine.

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wanted_to_upvote t1_iuew29c wrote

I think those percentages are under all conditions. In flood conditions the batteries are far more likely to catch fire than an internal combustion engine. I am a big fan of EV's and own one but this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed going forward.

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bascule t1_iufwku0 wrote

Hurricane Ian destroyed 300,000 cars.

Of those 300,000, 6 were EVs that caught fire. That’s 0.003% of the total damaged cars.

Some non-EVs caught fire too, since waterlogged lead acid batteries will do that. But nobody’s reporting on that… wonder why?

The 6 EVs that caught fire received nearly nonstop news coverage and moral panic, with Republicans jumping on the issue.

While I think it’s a bit disappointing that half a dozen EVs caught fire, given the circumstances it does not seem like a large number, and the response from the media and Republicans ludicrously disproportionate.

What’s the term for that? Oh right, FUD

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CollegeStation17155 t1_iuheq9l wrote

But what fraction of the 300,000 vehicles were EVs… if only 3000 of the destroyed vehicles were EVs, that 6 becomes a lot more significant, no? And also that number includes only the ones that caught fire immediately. The ones that seemed fine may still “bolt” months later if there is undetected corrosion. I saw that there was a recall recently when some company found their battery pack hadn’t been properly sealed and could get wet from rain.

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wanted_to_upvote t1_iug1dis wrote

They can be made to not catch fire when submerged in salt water. 6 is too many.

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bascule t1_iug526l wrote

Case in point right here. Your post is a great example of moral panic: trying to make something sound like it’s a big deal while providing no justification for your concerns.

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wanted_to_upvote t1_iug6i28 wrote

It is not 6 out 300,000. It is 6 out of how many EV's were submerged for some period of time. That failure rate is much higher than 6 out of 300,000 since the 300,000 number is all vehicles damaged in any way.

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bascule t1_iug6xom wrote

Why is 6 cars too many? And why do you only care about the EVs? Hell, why do you care at all?

You’ve justified nothing. Still moral panic.

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alaninsitges t1_iuexg4o wrote

No vehicles caught fire. The post title is a complete fabrication, same OP posted it all over Reddit.

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