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Scaremongering?
- Thread starter UrbanSplash
- Start date
Depends what you mean by rescuing? Any electric car that has been in a heavy accident and potentially damaged the battery needs dealing with very carefully, you can't just drag it up a flat loader and dump it at a local garage. If the battery ignites, almost nothing will put it out, you are pretty much best to let it burn out.... in a controlled manner. If you're worried about getting stuck in a car after an accident, then if it was hard enough to rupture a battery it would more than likely rupture a fuel tank and lines and in a petrol car you've got seconds before the thing goes up in flames rather than minutes with an electric car, so you're much more likely to get out alive.
All electric cars have to have easily accessible and marked high voltage disconnects that the emergency services can use.
I'd have thought that a few years ago the emergency services were still working out how best to deal with EV's, but now it shouldn't be an issue.
All electric cars have to have easily accessible and marked high voltage disconnects that the emergency services can use.
I'd have thought that a few years ago the emergency services were still working out how best to deal with EV's, but now it shouldn't be an issue.
I was chatting to a fireman mate in't pub last year re this. They are supposed to have referral folders for each model of car as to what to do/where to cut - which makes sense. Better organised countries know to lift the wreck and dump the whole thing in a tank of water once the immediate emergency has been dealt with since these damaged battery types can grumble away to themselves for several days before the fireball.
Car is marked where to disconnect HV and where to cut.
Besides the A and B pillars are going to the common cut points and no more power in those than an ICE.
So year fearmongering.
Kind of like people here and even in this thread do over the fuel in ICE. Not really that big a problem.
Besides the A and B pillars are going to the common cut points and no more power in those than an ICE.
So year fearmongering.
Kind of like people here and even in this thread do over the fuel in ICE. Not really that big a problem.
Was chatting with someone who said their son had a model S and was told by a fireman who knows a fireman who spoke to a fireman that paramedics wont approach the vehicle until its been made safe. They described it as 'its like a bomb that could go off any minute' - I said a bit like a normal car with 70 litres of petrol in the tank then? You could see the cogs turning as they realised...
I've heard of a fire fatality involving a Model S where the door handles were retracted and wouldn't come out (presumably because of the electrical systems being damaged?) so the doors wouldn't open. Not familiar with the S myself but I'm aware of the (interior) manual door release on the 3.
On several occasions where I've posted stuff about my car on Facebook, I've been told that EVs are dangerous because the batteries can suddenly just burst into flames. This claim was "backed-up" with a link to a video about some Top Gear episode where an EV caught fire... Except it was driven off the side of a cliff and rolled over several times before that happened.
My stance on this is that I don't consider it being any less safe than a petrol car and I enjoy driving it so if/when it spontanously catches fire then such people are free to say "I told you so". There's probably equal chance I could get hit by a vehicle while walking across a road, but that doesn't stop me doing it.
From what I've heard/read, Tesla's batteries are firewalled in some way to limit the potential of such problems happening to whichever cell(s) are affected. I suspect the reduced charging rate when the battery is nearly full is probably also to avoid this kind of thing as well.
Most accidents probably don't result in a fire though. I'd prefer to be in my Tesla than another car in the event of a crash as they're supposed to be one of the safest cars to drive.
On several occasions where I've posted stuff about my car on Facebook, I've been told that EVs are dangerous because the batteries can suddenly just burst into flames. This claim was "backed-up" with a link to a video about some Top Gear episode where an EV caught fire... Except it was driven off the side of a cliff and rolled over several times before that happened.
My stance on this is that I don't consider it being any less safe than a petrol car and I enjoy driving it so if/when it spontanously catches fire then such people are free to say "I told you so". There's probably equal chance I could get hit by a vehicle while walking across a road, but that doesn't stop me doing it.
From what I've heard/read, Tesla's batteries are firewalled in some way to limit the potential of such problems happening to whichever cell(s) are affected. I suspect the reduced charging rate when the battery is nearly full is probably also to avoid this kind of thing as well.
Most accidents probably don't result in a fire though. I'd prefer to be in my Tesla than another car in the event of a crash as they're supposed to be one of the safest cars to drive.
Tesla have a guide for each car
Model3: https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/Model_3_Emergency_Response_Guide_en.pdf
Model3: https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/Model_3_Emergency_Response_Guide_en.pdf
A sense of perspective. Thermal runaway is a real thing with lithium batteries and Tesa have mechansims to minimise this - fusible links, coolant, gas vents away from the cabin. Yes there have been a handful of episodes. The fumes are more of an immediate issue than fire - corrosive stuff. Anyone who plays with lithium polymer (yes I know it's different) batts and r/c will have seen crashes that damage soft packs and the things go up dramatically with the fumes pitting stainless steel. I've rebuilt a few r/c helis from my piloting when i ran out o talent....
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Tesla are considered some of the safest cars on the road. Lots of stories how emergency crews were amazed at how the people in crashes survived without a scratch.
Emergency responders are well trained on EV proceedures. Usually pop open the frunk and disconnect the juice if they are worried about the batteries.
Most agree that you are much safer in a well designed battery car than in a ICE vehicle with 20 gallons of flamable gasoline in the boot.
Non EV owners tend to make up all sorts of things to justify their own decision to drive a gasser.
For bad wrecks, responders will usually have someone unplug the battery while they are waiting for the team with the jaws of live to set up their gear.
Emergency responders are well trained on EV proceedures. Usually pop open the frunk and disconnect the juice if they are worried about the batteries.
Most agree that you are much safer in a well designed battery car than in a ICE vehicle with 20 gallons of flamable gasoline in the boot.
Non EV owners tend to make up all sorts of things to justify their own decision to drive a gasser.
For bad wrecks, responders will usually have someone unplug the battery while they are waiting for the team with the jaws of live to set up their gear.
I believe the reason is that in North America the airbags have to be designed (and regulatory testing done) assuming the occupants are not wearing seatbelts; in Europe the assumption is that seatbelts will be worn. The optimum airbag configuration is different for the two cases.
I’m presuming that every one saw the recent video of the X ripped in half in America I didn’t notice any flames in that incident if that had been an ice I suspect the emergency crews would have been hosing and otherwise contains multiple litres of highly flammable liquid in no time flat
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