![]() Such vehicles, given their large electrical energy storage capacity, can be a considerable hazard, known as “ stranded energy,” to first responders.īut training to put out these fires can’t come fast enough as more electric vehicles arrive on U.S. So when an electric vehicle gets in a high-speed accident and catches on fire, damaged energy cells cause temperatures to rise out of control, and the resulting blaze can require a significant amount of water to put out. The remains of a Tesla vehicle after it crashed in The Woodlands, Texas, on April 17, 2021. But unlike a small phone battery, the large batteries found in the Tesla Model X, for instance, contain enough energy to power an average American home for more than two days. Electric cars rely on a bank of lithium-ion batteries, similar to batteries found in a cellphone or computer. ![]() That’s because the way that electric vehicles are powered triggers longer-burning fires when they crash and get into serious accidents. In fact, Buck recently spoke on Zoom about the incident before a group of Colorado firefighters. So they have been banding together, largely informally, to share information to help one another out. That same volume of water serves an average American home for nearly two years.īy comparison, a typical fire involving an internal combustion car can often be quickly put out with approximately 300 gallons of water, well within the capacity of a single fire engine.Īs the popularity of electric vehicles grows, firefighters nationwide are realizing that they are not fully equipped to deal with them. ![]() They also used up 28,000 gallons of water - an amount the department normally uses in a month. Eight firefighters ultimately spent seven hours putting out the fire. They quickly consulted Tesla’s first responder guide and realized that it would take far more personnel and water than they could have imagined. “What the heck? How do we make this stop?’” Buck asked his team.
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