There is still too much uncertainty.
Every now and then some type of problem arises related to electric cars. Some are hoaxes, others are trifles that are no more than slight annoyances, and others are real problems. One of the most worrying is related to electric car fires. What is true in everything that surrounds them?
Humanity has spent its entire existence dealing with fires and car fires are no exception. However, in the case of one produced in a battery-powered car, its nature is different and it does present a series of specific problems that are more complicated to deal with.
The first thing is to determine that your fire is usually due to causes other than those of a gasoline or diesel model.
The origin of an EV fire is usually related to some type of battery-related problem. Thus, it may be due to a damage to them, sometimes even being perforated, or due to some problem with the connection cable that produces a short circuit and starts a fire.
Also relatively common is what is known as “thermal runway”, in which one of the battery cells begins to gain temperature abnormally and can explode, causing a fire that spreads to the others, etc.
Of course, we must keep in mind that the chances of an electric car catching fire are much lower than the same thing happening in a thermal one. According to several reports collected by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), the risk in vehicles that use flammable fuels can be up to 10 times greater.
This, added to the fact that the percentage of battery cars in the vehicle fleet is, still today, very low, the chances of seeing a fire caused by an electric vehicle are very low.
The problem is that, if it occurs, it is much more difficult to deal with it, something that is due to the composition of the batteries in these cars.
These types of fires have a flame intensity greater than normal, so they reach temperatures higher than usual, they have the potential to spread more quickly and, as we already mentioned, the possibility of explosions is always a risk. added.
That is why extinguishing them is more complicated. According to calculations, it is possible that up to 10 times more liters of water (at least) are needed than those used in a combustion car fire, in which it is possible to use 2,500 or 2,700 liters, so it is not a method efficient to achieve it.
Consequently, other alternatives are being sought to stop the fires more quickly. One of the most common and that has been tested by fire departments in several countries is to use special thermal blankets that are placed over the car to “drown” the fire, ensuring that the temperatures reached are lower.
Another is that, since water alone is not as effective, a foam concentrate is used, which combines the liquid element with a foam to put out the fire.
Another even more extreme alternative that is already being tested in some countries is the use of “bathtubs”, which are actually containers filled with water in which the car is directly submerged. This fulfills a double function, since it both helps to put out the fire and lower the temperature of the vehicle.
However, the second problem, which is quite serious, is that due to the configuration of the battery, the electrode material can generate oxygen, which causes the fire to fuel even more or, when it seemed to be extinguished, it burns out. revive and have to start over.
All of this makes it really difficult to extinguish a fire in an electric car, a problem added to by the fact that, as there is still not enough information, it is not clear what the action protocol should be to stop a situation like this.
In this way, fire departments and different organizations only give certain recommendations to try to minimize damage in the event of a fire.
For example, a call was made not to park electric cars on lower floors of underground car parks, because they are difficult to access and firefighters cannot arrive with all their resources to be able to fight the fire in the best way.
Furthermore, it must be taken into account that not only are these fires more intense and last longer until they are extinguished, but also that, throughout the burning, they produce smoke that is much more polluting than conventional smoke due to the components and compound that make up the electrical section of the vehicle.
This represents an added environmental problem that makes it even more necessary to address it as quickly as possible.