A Tesla Model S driving at freeway speed caught fire in Sacramento, California. The metropolitan fire department needed 6000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames coming out of the battery that spontaneously combusted on the highway.
While the reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained, there were no casualties reported from the incident. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire department was following the special instructions given by Tesla to combat battery combustion. However, they faced major issues to douse the battery fire as it kept on reigniting after intervals.
Why Are EVs Catching Fire?
Electric Vehicles use Lithium-ion batteries that have high energy efficiency, high power-to-weight ratio, and low self-discharge. These batteries perform well under high temperatures and are made of components that can be recycled. However, one of the major drawbacks of Lithium-ion batteries is the combustion risk.
According to the 2017 study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States transportation department, the risk of fire in EVs is significantly lower compared to internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. However, the rise in the number of fire accidents in EVs has led to further investigations into the safety of Electric Vehicles.
A 2020 research paper on ‘A Review of Battery Fires in Electric Vehicles’ states that even though the heat release and hazard of an EV fire are comparable to that of a fossil-fuelled vehicle fire, once the onboard battery is involved in a fire, there is a greater difficulty in suppressing EV fires. This is because the burning battery pack inside is inaccessible to externally applied suppressant and can re-ignite without sufficient cooling. As a result, an excessive amount of suppression agent is needed to cool the battery, extinguish the fire, and prevent re-ignition.
The Sacramento firefighters had to use almost 6000 gallons of water (which requires multiple fire trucks) before they could extinguish the battery fire of the Tesla Model S. This was because the battery kept on reigniting itself. The firefighters followed Tesla’s special instructions and jacked up the vehicle to reach the battery pack. They then put the nozzles beneath the undercarriage to directly cool the blazing battery. According to Tesla’s Model S Fire Extinguishing manual, it may take up to 8000 gallons of water to completely extinguish a battery fire. A gas-powered vehicle, on the other hand, can be extinguished with just 700 gallons of water carried by a single fire engine.
There have been many EV fire incidents over the past decade some of them resulting in fatalities. Recently in China, a Porsche Tycan EV caught fire, killing the driver. Tesla EVs have also reported several fire incidents with about 44 fatalities to date. Other famous EV brands that have reported fire accidents include BMW, Nissan, BYD, Audi, and Hyundai.
Last year the Felicity Ace ship caught fire and sank with more than 4000 vehicles including luxury cars like Audi and Porsche. Investigations revealed that Lithium-ion batteries in the electric cars on board the ship caught fire that could not be doused.
What To Do In A EV Fire Incident?
According to an article in the International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), special training and pieces of equipment are required to manage the fire hazard caused by EVs. Customers who use Electric Vehicles need to be aware of the special steps to be taken when dealing with spontaneous combustion.
In the event of an EV fire, it is advised to stop the car, pull over and move away from it before calling the emergency services. Drivers, passengers, or onlookers should not inhale the smoke, vapors, or gas emitted by the burning car and stay as far away as possible from the vehicle.
The most recent NFPA Electric Vehicle Emergency Field Guide includes more thorough instructions for dealing with vehicle fire accidents for both mainstream hybrid and electric cars from various manufacturers. Firefighting equipment manufacturers across the globe are also working on technology and solutions that would help to combat the peculiar fire hazard posed by Electric Vehicles.
However, until the technology and tools to douse EV fires are developed, we only have the option of squandering precious gallons of water to extinguish the battery fire.
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