Non-ticking fire bombs – Lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles (plus sea-water)

Post article edit. h/t Frank:

How Do You Extinguish a Lithium Battery Fire? | Principia Scientific Intl. (principia-scientific.com)

The issue has been fermenting for a while.

Back in January 2023, there were headlines like this:

Shipping Company Prohibits EV Cars on Ferries After Ship Sinks from Fire Caused by EV Batteries - Vaccine Impact

“It was announced earlier this week that the Norwegian shipping company Havila has become the first company to prohibit EV cars on their ferries, following the sinking of the ferry “Felicity Ace” last year, which resulted from a fire of EV car batteries.”

Followed up here:

Norwegian Ferry Company Bans Electrified Vehicles From Being Transported on Its Ships - autoevolution

“Li-Ion batteries in electric vehicles pose a significant fire risk, which was further emphasized after the Felicity Ace cargo ship sank almost a year ago. Following a safety assessment regarding fire risks, a Norwegian ferry company decided to ban all but purely ICE vehicles from its vessels.”

And in March 2023 here:

EV ferry risk criticism aimed at car manufacturers | Fire Protection Association (thefpa.co.uk)

“As reported by The Loadstar, some attitudes in the auto-industry have been “blasé” about the safety concerns of EVs while they are being transported, adding that they are “apparently not on the industry’s radar”.

Loss prevention director at TT Club Mutual Insurance, Peregrine Storrs-Fox, and health safety, security, and environment officer for Mediterranean Shipping Company, Dirk Vande Velde, vocalised their criticisms with the news outlet about the dangers that lithium-ion batteries can present, particularly when EVs are being transported aboard ro-ro ferries.

Since these batteries burn at extremely high temperatures, there are fears that using water to douse the blaze – as is the procedure with standard fires – “could cause ferries to become unstable”.

There is a terrific video from a bonzer Australian (h/t Ranger71) that has attracted

Fremantle Hwy: Mercedes EV battery burns ONE MONTH later | Auto Expert John Cadogan - YouTube

Risks outlined in the video at the 9 minute 57 second mark.

1.      The battery just explodes

2.      The vapour cloud vents into the passenger compartment and then explodes

3.      Unconfined vapour cloud explosion (outside vehicle and then explodes (includes above or below ground car parks and home garages

4.      Flare like flames – where the vapour cloud vents outside the vehicle and then ignites – shooting flames a few metres long

Watch the whole video – a real expert telling it how it is - regulations are vital. Here’s a shot od an extinct high end Mercedes being lifted off a ship, a month after a fire – the ship had 500 high end EV;s on board and was still docked after that month (usually a 24 hour, tide related turnround with fresh cargo to avoid fees.

Perfectly movable if you have #2 a giant fuck off crane” – haha

And lastly this:

Electric Vehicles Exposed to Saltwater Can Burst Into Flames, Authorities Warn | NTD

“WARNING. If you own a hybrid or electric vehicle that has come into contact with saltwater due to recent flooding within the last 24 hours, it is crucial to relocate the vehicle from your garage without delay. Saltwater exposure can trigger combustion in lithium-ion batteries. If possible, transfer your vehicle to higher ground,” Palm Harbor Fire Rescue (PHFR), Florida, said in an Aug. 30 Facebook post.

“This includes golf carts and electric scooters. Don’t drive these through water. PHFR crews have seen numerous residents out in golf carts and children on scooters riding through water.”

The issue with saltwater is that even if the water dries off, the residue can remain, potentially triggering electrical connections within the EV battery, which eventually sparks into a fire. In the post, PHFR pointed to two Tesla EVs in Dunedin that had caught fire.

EV fires in the wake of the storm are not an unforeseen occurrence. Prior to the storm surge, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis warned citizens that saltwater from the storms can trigger fires in electric vehicles “which cannot be easily suppressed.”

Remember lithium-ion battery fires cannot be extinguished with water, the YouTube video showed a Mercedes that had been burning for a month and had to be sealed in coffin, then covered with a tarpaulin to hide it and left to die.

So, don’t be charging your EV indoors.

A word of caution, If you buy extension leads for a thousand bucks or so, better install security as they will be a target for thieves.

Onwards!

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