Electric Vehicles Are Giving Rescue Workers a Big Headache After Hurricane Ian

townhall.com ^ | 10/7/2022 0700 hrs edt | Leah Barkoukis

[rktman]

An untold number of cars have been destroyed by Hurricane Ian in Florida, but the storm has also impacted electric vehicles in a way that’s proving difficult for rescue workers in the state to manage.

EV batteries, corroding from water damage, are now catching on fire, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis said on Twitter.

“There’s a ton of EVs disabled from Ian. As those batteries corrode, fires start. That’s a new challenge that our firefighters haven’t faced before. At least on this kind of scale,” he said, sharing video of firefighters in Naples surrounding a smoking Tesla.

EV owners were also advised to have the water-damaged vehicles moved away from structures.

In the video, one person says the vehicle has already been doused with 1,500 gallons of water and the fire is still not out.

According to Emma Sutcliffe, the director of Australia-based EV FireSafe, testing shows that electric vehicle battery fires can burn up to 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit, WCNC reports. In comparison, fires in combustion engine vehicles burn around 1,500 degrees, according to FEMA.

[rktman]

Butt, butt, butt buy an EV they said. It's safe they said. It'll be effective they said. Screw a bunch of gasoline cars they said............ Wonder how the charging stations did?

[butlerweave]

Ticking Time Bombs

[George from New England]

...vehicle has already been doused with 1,500 gallons of water and the fire is still not out. ...

Drive EV into a pool and get a toxic bonfire ? Hell burns from under the water.

[dennisw]

How toxic are the fumes that come out when these lithium batters catch on fire? We will be hearing more on this. My guess is at least 100 EVs and hybrids got submerged in salt water during this Fort Meyers Florida hurricane.

[G Larry]

Predictable.

[V_TWIN]

[FlingWingFlyer]

One of the first science lessons I learned as a kid is electricity and water do not mix well.

[packagingguy]

It’s hard to believe that we will all be forced into these things in five to ten years.

They have so many disadvantages compared to ICE driven cars it’s almost as if all the decisions are being made by the scientifically illiterate...oh wait, decisions are being made by the scientifically illiterate.

[V_TWIN]

[dfwgator]

He’s turning into Chaz Bono.

[V_TWIN]

Teslagator will be here momentarily to tell us why this is a good thing

[logi_cal869]

Sounds like a business opportunity.

[EVO X]

Similar article here with more commentary.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4098810/posts

[Red Badger]

This was bound to happen sooner or later.........

[rktman]

😂😂😂😂

[rktman]

Yup!

[Rurudyne]

Steam engine boilers powered by EV battery fires!

[z3n]

[Tench_Coxe]

Anyone remember incidents where some wag in high school stole a chunk of alkali metal and chucked it into a toilet?

[SaxxonWoods]

EV owners should have been warned to evacuate early by their manufacturers. The owners should sue, and so should the fire departments that have to deal with this crud.