Posted on 08/14/2024 10:57:50 PM PDT by dennisw
The fiery failure of an electric vehicle led to countless other cars being damaged and caused conditions hostile enough to send nearly two dozen people to the hospital.
The devastating incident unfolded on the morning of Aug. 1 as an electric Mercedes-Benz EQE caught fire while parked in a packed underground garage below an Incheon, South Korea, apartment complex.
The vehicle was not charging or running when it ignited.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the fire department received nearly 200 calls while the fire spread and belched black smoke into the sky.
In total, 177 first responders arrived to fight the fire and handle evacuations of the complex.
Despite the massive response, it took emergency crews eight hours to extinguish the blaze completely.
Expand article logo Continue reading In total, 106 people were rescued as smoke filled the area, and 103 others were evacuated. No deaths were reported, but 21 people were sent to the hospital with injuries sustained during the fire.
Several children and a firefighter were among those hospitalized.
A surveillance video from the garage showed white smoke streaming from the Mercedes. An explosion followed a few seconds later, igniting the blaze.
According to The Korea Times, Mercedes is losing trust in the country due to its "overly defensive" response to the fire. Part of the problem appears to be the company's willingness to pledge a donation in the amount of 4.5 billion Korean won (roughly $3.3 million) while refusing to issue a public apology.
In addition, Mercedes has kept details about its battery supply chain largely under wraps despite consumer concerns.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Oversized electric golf cart fanbois not pleased at this exposure.
BODY COUNT>
Dead — One EV Mercedes
Injured — 21 People
This must be a world record for people injured in an EV self-immolation.
The Korean world, it is explodin’
EVs flarin’, EVs loadin’
You’re old enough for K-Pop, but not for votin’
You don’t believe in war, but Global Warming?
And even the Inchon river has bodies floatin’
People leave their e-vehicles to charge unattended. I’ve owned me ebike for 5 months and I charge it at work, where I can monitor it and and I don’t charge it at home.
No problems so far.
21 People injured must be an EV record high.
The EV was not charging, not running, when it self-detonated.
Mercedes, so was high end, well manufactured and expensive. And it still went KA-BOOM!
My ebike battery is fairly small, about two hours worth of riding. So, that might be part of it.
The EV that exploded was>>>>
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE all-electric sedan has a starting price of $74,900 and goes up to $106,900 depending on the trim and options1
I guess Korean firefighting techniques aren't up to the high standards expected by Mercedes Benz.
An yet, e-bike are causing fires all over NYC, apparently mostly while charging, but not all.
They explode or erupt into very hot flames almost instantly. Your monitoring will amount to “oh shit!”
Did you see the video of the guy who carried his battery onto an elevator?
I did. The battery had apparently been breached, so there was nothing holding it together. That’s why it went up the way it did.
He was in agony for almost a month.
People plug them in when they go to bed. Mine is firmly unplugged. I won’t charge it at home.
My charger is designed to shut down after a certain temperature has been reached, it charges intermittently until the battery is fully charged.
And Mercedes is blaming the government for an “overly defensive” response to the fire.
OK, Mercedes, next time we’ll call YOU and you can send your CEO’s to deal with putting out the fire and treating the victims.
No link to the video?
There was the one e-bike rider, home from riding it, who was taking the battery outside his apt. building. In the elevator on the way down, the battery exploded causing a contained fireball in the elevator car. I believe the unfortunate owner was burned to death.
Oh, good (I guess) that he didn’t die.
Oh, I ommitted he was taking the battery outside —to cool off—
I fret about my battery powered yard & carpentry tools....but they don’t get banged around like an e-bike battery might.
That’s how long it took him to die.
It’s not an EV failure . . . it’s and EV feature. Bon feu, and bring marshmallows.
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