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Fires
One of the biggest concerns - now and into the future - is the potential for fires with EV batteries. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, First Responders were faced with EV fires that took hours to extinguish - far longer than gasoline fueled vehicles.
The biggest difference is that an EV fire cannot be put out with the type of firefighting foam used to smother other fires. Instead, the battery must be cooled to stop the fire and end thermal runaway. Lithium-ion batteries generate their own heat and oxygen. To stop the fire requires putting water on the battery case to cool it. Since most EV batteries are underneath the vehicle, pouring water on top of the car or in the engine compartment is not helpful. You need to get the water underneath.
There were 11 confirmed cases in which EVs caught fire in Florida after flooding from Ian, all believed to be due to the cars' battery packs shorting out after being submerged in saltwater or physical damage to the batteries during the flooding.
Six of the fires were reported by the North Collier Fire Rescue District, and another four by other Collier County fire departments. One additional fire was reported in Sanibel Island by the Sanibel Island Fire and Rescue District. The Sanibel Island incident caused a fire that gutted the house the car was parked in and the one next door.
Fires are not just a concern with EV cars. It has become a concern with other battery operated vehicles.
At least 19 people died in the US in 2022 because of fires or overheating incidents related to battery-powered products such as E-bikes, scooters and hoverboards. (US Consumer Product Safety Commission - December 2022).
In New York City alone, fires caused by lithium-ion batteries powering the devices, known as light electric vehicles (LEVs), have been responsible for at least 208 fires in 2022, resulting in 142 injuries and 6 deaths. In 2021, there were 104 fires caused by these batteries, 79 injuries and 4 deaths. In 2020, there were 44 such fires, 23 injuries and zero deaths. (New York Fire Department).
Many of these fires originated while the LEV device was being charged - often in the apartment where the rider lives! In November 2022, there was a fire at a high-rise building in mid-town Manhattan that sent 38 people to the hospital caused by a lithium-ion battery connected to a LEV.
Unfortunately, other large cities like Los Angeles Fire Department and the San Francisco Fire Department do not track fires from LEVs.
As early as 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board noted that fires in electric vehicles powered by high-voltage lithium-ion batteries posed the risk of electric shock to emergency responders from exposure to the high-voltage components of a damaged lithium-ion battery. A further risk is that damaged cells in the battery can experience increases in temperature and pressure, which can lead to hazards such battery reignition/fire. The risks of electric shock and battery reignition/fire arise from the "stranded" energy that remains in a damaged battery.
See also Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas to Orlando sends 10 passengers and crew to hospital last week due to passenger's battery from their electronic device caught fire in overhead bin.
Also see United Airlines flight bound for New Jersey returned to San Diego airport last month after passenger's laptop external battery caught fire in the backseat pocket in first class sending 2 passengers and 4 crew members to the hospital.
Yesterday, a Bronx grocery store was gutted when an e-bike lithium-ion battery sparked a massive blaze injuring 7 people including 5 fire fighters.
Rolling Blackouts
During a last summer's heatwave in California, the state asked electric car owners not to charge their EVs because of heavy demand from air conditioning units. Ironically, the request came on the heels of an announcement that the California would ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
Thus, another Pandora's box concerning the potential for rolling blackouts, defined as temporary power cuts planned by grid operators, is opened. It can happen in any country and is mainly to get a power supply balance in a specific region.
Unlike unpredictable power outages, rolling blackouts are to avoid overloading the power grid during high demand. Different parts of the city receive temporary power outages for a specific time but not an extended period.
Rolling blackouts happen where there is high electricity demand and low supply. This is the by-product of extreme weather conditions, such as droughts, winter storms or heat waves, that increase electricity consumption.
With the inevitable increase in EVs, there will be an inevitable increase in the demand for electrical power, which will increase the need for rolling blackouts.
Can Electrical Grid
Handle Wave of EVs?
Recently, coastal California was hit with severe weather than knocked out power for up to two weeks in some areas. That meant no lights, no A/C, no heating, no internet, no charging of electronic devices like phones, laptops, etc. It also meant EV cars could not be charged, thus personal transportation was curtailed during the power outage.
During the recent extreme cold weather in the mid-West and Northeast, it was determined that sustained cold temperatures negatively impacted battery efficiency and, thereby, the EV's range. AAA warned of drops in EV ranges of nearly 50%.
Californians drive almost 50% of the country's EVs. This is going to require massive expansion of its electrical grid to service the anticipated increase in EVs across the country. Thus, the question becomes can the US electrical grid provide sufficient energy to satisfy the EVs' thirst for electrical power?
It is predicted 26.4 million EVs will be on the road by 2030. That's up from about three million EVs on the road today.
Although most industry experts agree that the nation's electrical grid is up to the task of supporting EVs, the successful EV adoption will rely not only on investments in the grid itself, but also on how and when EV drivers use it to charge their vehicles.
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