- Floods have pummeled the Southeast, particularly North Carolina, destroying numerous buildings and leaving many autos not less than partially underwater.
- Authorities say electrical automobile batteries which have been submerged in salt water pose a fireplace threat, because the flooding can set off a brief circuit.
- In case your automobile has been flooded, pay attention to the low however actual probability that it might probably ignite, and by no means attempt to drive any automobile after it has been flooded with out first getting it checked out by a technician.
Because the Southeastern U.S. is reeling within the wake of Hurricane Helene, authorities are reminding EV homeowners to watch out if their autos have been flooded, as the Related Press reported. We have even seen video proof of an allegedly flood-damaged Tesla Mannequin X exploding in a storage.
Tesla has lengthy warned of the fireplace threat that flooded vehicles pose. The corporate recommends not driving a automobile that has been submerged till it’s inspected by a licensed restore facility, and says that flooded autos ought to be parked 50 toes from any construction. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged EV homeowners to get their autos to larger floor forward of the storm. Tom Barth, chief of the particular investigations department of the Nationwide Transportation Security Board’s workplace of freeway security, instructed The Related Press that saltwater can short-circuit batteries. The conductive salt water can bridge the hole between the battery’s constructive and damaging terminals, shorting the pack and resulting in thermal runaway.
Batteries are designed to be protected in a really of circumstances, together with submersion, so most have seals to forestall any moisture from getting in. However salt water is very corrosive—take a look at the undercarriage of any automobile pushed someplace the place they salt the roads—and people seals can fail.
“The place it begins to be an issue is when you have the batteries submerged in standing water. That’s the place it begins to beat the moisture seals within the battery,” Barth instructed the AP.
That does not imply that is prone to occur. In accordance with Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration analysis, additionally cited by the AP, after Hurricane Ian flooded 3,000-5,000 electrical autos. 600 have been declared complete losses and 36 of these caught hearth. Meaning roughly one-tenth of 1% of flooded EVs general caught hearth, however about 6% of those who have been totaled did ignite. Analysis on the Idaho Nationwide Laboratory—carried out as a part of the NHTSA examine—discovered varied methods by which water from Hurricane Ian penetrated the battery packs of flooded vehicles:
Their pattern included a Lucid Air, Porsche Taycan, Tesla Mannequin X, Mannequin S, Mannequin Y and Mannequin 3. None of them appeared to pose a fireplace threat, however researchers have been clear that it is doable for EVs to ignite after submersions. Specialists additionally be aware {that a} hearth can generally begin after the floodwater has receded, so simply because it is dry now does not imply it is protected. Like several automobile, you should not attempt to use it after a flood earlier than getting it checked out. Even when there isn’t any hearth threat, trying to show it on could trigger additional injury. And no matter your automobile’s powertrain, if the floodwater went previous the floorboards you’re possible a complete loss.
However when you’re in North Carolina proper now, you’ll be able to’t precisely name a tow truck. When you have an EV that’s or was submerged—particularly whether it is inside an connected storage—remember that it’s a potential hearth threat. On condition that emergency companies could wrestle to achieve a home shortly, it could be most secure to maneuver to a safer location. Should you can not safely transfer, keep conscious of the danger whereas additionally understanding {that a} hearth is extraordinarily unlikely.
As EVs evolve, automakers are additionally working onerous to ensure they fail safely when flooded or in excessive circumstances. Authorities, automakers and regulators proceed to study extra about the right way to deal with EV-related fires and particular points, and EV fires stay far rarer than inner combustion fires. EVs with Automobile-to-Load (V2L) or Automobile-to-Residence (V2H) capabilities can be lifesavers throughout pure disasters, permitting homeowners to energy fridges, lights and different house electronics when the grid is down. But when you realize you are in a flood zone, the most secure factor to do is transfer your automobile out of the hazard zone earlier than the water rises.
