Posted on 09/23/2023 10:26:58 AM PDT by Signalman
Electric vehicle (EV) sales are up, but that may come with unintended—if not lethal—consequences. EVs pose many problems that are not well-known including potentially dangerous conditions in commercial parking garages and the fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries used by EV's.
Electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent, and being scrutinized for their potential dangers, even when they are not being driven. In July of this year a cargo ship caught fire off the Netherlands' coast after 3,500 new vehicles caught fire while in transport. One crew member was killed, and investigators said "the fire started in the battery of an electric car."
Flammability aside, EVs elicit concerns because of just how heavy they are compared to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Many older parking garages were simply not built with the weights of modern cars in mind, let alone EVs. The lithium-ion batteries that power new EVs account for a large portion of the weight discrepancy with traditional cars. For example, according to automotive trade journal Jobber News, "An electric vehicle can weigh much more than its internal combustion engine counterpart — the Ford F-150 Lightning can weigh 2,000-3,000 pounds more than the ICE version."
The battery of an electric GMC Hummer weighs approximately 2,900 pounds, or about the same as an entire 2022 Honda Civic.
The Telegraph reported that experts in the U.K. have warned that parking garages “could be at risk of collapse as heavier electric vehicles put pressure on ageing infrastructure.”
“I don’t want to be too alarmist, but there definitely is the potential for some of the early car parks in poor condition to collapse,” Chris Whapples, a structural engineer and a consultant on parking garage regulation, told The Telegraph. “Operators need to be aware of The battery of an electric GMC Hummer weighs approximately 2,900 pounds, or about the same as an entire 2022 Honda Civic.
There is also a concern over the fire hazard that EVs pose, especially when parked in commercial garages because of those buildings' tight quarters and restricted access.
In June, Siemens AG released a White Paper reviewing fire safety protocols in parking garages housing electric vehicles. Smaller parking spaces, larger vehicles, and the increase of plastics in car design has led to greater risks from multi-vehicle fires in parking garages just with ICE vehicles, according to Siemens.
The Siemens report highlights two recent international garage fires—one in Liverpool, U.K. in 2017 and another at the Stavanger Airport in Norway in 2020—which both caused significant structural damage and loss of property. This danger could be amplified by electric vehicles.
Most parking garages today were designed to accommodate ICE vehicles, rather than newer EVs, which Siemens explains, react differently to fires. The lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles undergo what is known as “thermal runaway” when they combust, making a fire in an EV extremely difficult to extinguish. EV battery fires can also reignite hours or days after visible signs of fire are gone, the report said.
“An electric vehicle (EV) battery fire releases the stored chemical energy, causing a rapid increase in temperature,” the report reads. “This results in an explosive combustion of the battery electrolyte vapor, with intense heat and highly toxic smoke, and can easily lead to multi-vehicle fires.”
Putting out an EV battery fire requires more water than a traditional fire because the reaction taking place in the battery cannot be stopped until the fuel is spent. In other words, the battery can only be cooled to prevent the spread of the fire until it has fizzled out.
In an article about the hazards of EVs, Health Facilities Magazine reports that “thousands of gallons” of water are required to put out EV battery fires, sometimes over a period of 24 hours, to cool the battery until it burns out. A fire like this occurring in a parking garage presents additional challenges because a traditional method of firefighters—turning an EV on its side to access the battery so that water can cool it down—may not be available in the confines of a parking garage.
In addition to the safety hazards of fire and building collapses, electric vehicle ownership comes with other cost and safety effects on the average consumer:
According to The Wall Street Journal, the average insurance cost for a traditional vehicle is $193 a month. With an all-electric vehicle, the average insurance costs increase to $317 a month, a 64% increase in expenses.
Liberty Mutual advises that a consumer "may want to consider additional coverages" beyond traditional vehicles because of the high upfront and repair and replacement costs of EVs, leading to further increases in insurance costs. Maintaining EVs can cost the consumer more than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. They are more expensive to repair because parts can cost more, there are fewer repair shops that can work on them, and labor costs for repairs is high, according to Liberty Mutual.
CBS News reports that comparatively heavier EVs pose risks for passengers in lighter vehicles or pedestrians if involved in a crash. The laws of physics provide that in a crash between a heavier and a lighter vehicle, the forces exerted on the lighter of the two will be much greater, posing a greater risk of injury or to life.
Experts are still at odds about the safety of a fully electric vehicle (as opposed to a gas-hybrid) if caught in a severe snowstorm and traffic jam. The Washington Post noted that "It is a scientific fact that batteries of all kinds lose capacity more rapidly in cold weather, and that includes the sophisticated lithium-ion ones used by Teslas and other EVs." A transition to electric vehicles has become the centerpiece of the Biden Administration’s goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions for the federal government by 2050. Last month, the U.S. Department of Treasury said that it will supply $12 billion in loans and grants to the auto industry to aid in the transition to electric vehicles countrywide. President Biden’s EPA also recently proposed a rule to set new tailpipe standards that are designed to instigate between a 64% to 69% EV adoption rate by next decade, according to EPA official and reported by CNN.
Safety concerns and increased costs for Americans may not be the only factors that will hinder the Biden Administration’s efforts. This summer, Ford announced that it is projected to lose $4.5 billion from EVs this year, revised from their earlier predicted loss of $3 billion.
“The near-term pace of EV adoption will be a little slower than expected, which is going to benefit early movers like Ford," Ford CEO Farley said in a press release reported by Fox Business. "EV customers are brand loyal and we’re winning lots of them with our high-volume, first-generation products; we’re making smart investments in capabilities and capacity around the world; and, while others are trying to catch up, we have clean-sheet, next-generation products in advanced development that will blow people away."
That company continues to generate substantial profits from its traditional vehicle lines. “Ford Model e is an EV startup within Ford. As everyone knows, EV startups lose money while they invest in capabilities, develop knowledge, build volume and gain share," Farley said this spring, before the losses were announced.
And this was not the only bad news for the Biden Administration, who has attached itself to "green" energy initiatives. Recently, Secretary of the Department of Energy Jennifer Granholm scheduled a four-day road trip from Charlotte, NC to Memphis, TN to highlight the benefits of EVs to Americans. It revealed bad planning and the challenges EV owners who wish to travel cross-country may face.
Granholm's caravan experienced charging station shortages, ran up against the limited driving range of EVs, and used a gas-powered car to commandeer a spot for Secretary Granholm’s EV, angering a family of "ordinary" citizens wanting to charge their own car. “It was poor judgement on the part of the team,” Granholm told Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL) at a hearing this week.
As the share of EVs populating America’s roads continues to increase, incidents like these may become more common. Coupled with the potential safety hazards of these new vehicles, in addition to the coming crisis of depleted lithium storage—the debate over the long-term benefits transitioning to electric vehicles is far from over.
So ford will only lose 5.9 billion on them next year?
Maybe they can make it up on volume
Yeah, those things are just flying off the lots.
My wife’s vehicle is 16 years old, but it only has 65,000 miles on it. Bulletproof engine. One of the better ones ever produced. That said, I still wonder if we shouldn’t get a replacement with a newer ICE vehicle.
Banned from parking garages , banned from your garage , banned from parking on the street ,LOL
Better start building detached garages, like they did in the early days of gas cars.
Maybe yes while you still can.
I’d do an electrical vehicle to ride around town maybe. But I have to have an ICE vehicle around for distance runs.
Bookmark
I’m looking at a vehicle purchase, and am weighing ICE vs. hybrid. Also concerned about ability to get either if Dems maintain power.
Yes, it’s all true!
But the climate jockeys don’t care!!
If we just had a Federal law mandating that every Public Employee nationwide exclusively use EV’s for ALL Travel, the problems would be fixed after a few thousand sacrificed their lives and families to an EV.
Push will come to shove. Gonna be awesome.
20% of Americans will buy EVs. No problem. Which is good for Tesla. But it seems rest of us are going to refuse to buy an EV. In California, they’re going to have to shut down gas stations.
I’m leaning more towards a plug in hybrid, especially if you have rooftop solar.
My wife’s daily drive is less than 50 miles, so she can run on battery-only most of the time, and can easily be fully recharged each night for free with the solar credit from the utility.
Longer trips, she can use the gas, get great mileage and no range anxiety.
New cars have better safety features
My electric vehicle makes it all 18 holes before quitting. Can’t beat that!
According to The Wall Street Journal, the average insurance cost for a traditional vehicle is $193 a month.
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Two cars cost me $785. per year, full coverage, $250 deductible here in fly over country..
“Banned from parking garages , banned from your garage , banned from parking on the street ,LOL”
That’s the cars, and what about the electro bikes? It looks like those things are becoming very popular, often with a theoretical range of 60 miles, which is pretty close to the longest distance a reasonably fit writer can push an ordinary bike. At between one and $2000 price apiece these bikes are likely to be very popular among college students who will then be looking to find places to store their bikes, along with the often combustible batteries. What are all of our woke colleges going to do when the kids come in wanting to store their new, explosive, toys in crowded dormitories? Also, as far as ordinary families are concerned, where are the kids spiffy new combustible bikes to be stored in their families’ houses?
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