Sparks, fire, explosions: are electric cars dangerous?

2023-05-23 00:01:47
Summer is approaching and, with it, the vacation periods, times when there are many trips. Although also where a greater number of road accidents can occur, especially if the weather is not with us either, since rain, storms and wind make driving more difficult. Therefore, the chances of having a mishap also increase, even if it is simply a ‘scratch’ or a minor collision. Therefore, it is convenient to know how to act and what to do to fill out the insurance part. Given this, every driver must be prepared to know how to act in the event of a possible accident or breakdown that forces them to stop on the road. These details are more unknown if we are talking about electric vehicles, which are slowly opening their way in the market, and with which you have to proceed in a particular way. In fact, it is necessary to know perfectly the possible risks to which emergency personnel are exposed, since they are different vehicles and components. Sparks, fires, explosions… How dangerous can an accident in an electric car be? Related News standard Si The electric flying car takes off in Jaén Lourdes Gómez The Lilium ‘jet’ reaches 280 kilometers per hour and 3000 meters high. The German company that created it is testing it in Andalusia and will market it in 2025. First of all, point out that the electric motor of an electric car is powered by alternating current called High Voltage (AT), and can reach, depending on makes and models, the 1000 volts. For this reason, “there is a risk when handling any AT component (battery, cables, plug and motor area) due to electrocution. Batteries also have a highly corrosive electrolyte inside. In the event of damage or breakage, they should not be handled,” explains Richard Giménez, a member of the Alicante Firefighter Consortium. “You also have to be careful with the battery if it is affected by fire, strong impact or overload, since it could cause an autoignition process”, he adds. “Eye! Whenever there is a strong impact on an electric vehicle, it should be suspected that the AT battery may self-ignite. This process can occur several hours later and once started can take 24 hours or more. However, if it is totally or partially submerged in an aquatic environment, it does not pose a greater risk of electric shock. In the event of a power failure or short circuit, the automatic safety systems disconnect the AT. Touching the body of the vehicle does not represent any danger either, so its occupants could be rescued if necessary, “he explains, while pointing out that” outside of the aquatic environment there is a risk of electrocution. After the extraction and emptying of the vehicle, the Fire Service must check for possible damage and disconnect the AT. For his part, the managing director of AEDIVE (Business Association for the Development and Promotion of the Electric Vehicle), Arturo Pérez de Lucia, details that “all new technology is followed by myths and legends based on ignorance and infoxication.” «The electric vehicle has no danger of shocks. I have charged a thousand times on rainy days at public charging points and nothing happens. All vehicles and charging infrastructures are subject to IP standards (degrees of protection for industrial safety based on international standards for protection against contacts and foreign bodies and protection against water)”. From the AEDIVE they offer us all the answers. «Actually, all vehicles, including electric ones, have a Rescue Sheet for the emergency services, which, in the case of electric ones, inform where the battery is disconnected, where there may be high voltage equipment, how to attack the vehicle taking into account the layout of the battery, in addition to other elements”, says Arturo Pérez de Lucia. The salvage sheet is a file that incorporates all the technical information necessary to open a vehicle quickly and safely. It has a standard format, valid throughout Europe. Why is it useful? Because if it is accessible inside the vehicle, any rescue team will be able to have it immediately when they arrive at the accident, they will understand it and use it so that the process of releasing the injured person is as fast and safe as possible. In fact, in the face of this type of accident, the brands “have been talking to the firefighters and they are in contact when there are modifications to each vehicle.” What’s more, on the official RACC website the Rescue Sheets of each and every one of the models on the market are available to guarantee a safe and fast rescue in the event of an accident. MORE INFORMATION news No This is the Mehari, an atypical all-terrain SUV that turns 55 news No Cayenne 2023: this is how the Porsche SUV has been updated news No BYD Han, the luxury electric car that you can buy from 69,990 euros Likewise , when an electrician receives a blow, «the battery is automatically disconnected at the same time that the airbags and/or belt pretensioners jump. Even if the vehicle rolls over, the battery is disconnected,” adds Pérez de Lucia. And there are also emergency disconnects available to safely turn off the vehicle’s electricity if passenger removal is necessary. In some models, there are also hatches that in the event of a fire melt, giving way to the extinguishing water (this is the case of the Renault ZOE model, located under the rear seat bench).
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