Florida CFO warns of EV battery fires, offers prevention tips
In addition to electric vehicles, golf carts and scooters can present a fire risk if the batteries are exposed to salt water.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is urging those impacted by Hurricane Ian to be on alert for potential fires caused by lithium-ion batteries that were submerged in salt water. To date, eight fires have been linked to batteries in electric vehicles following the hurricane, but the insurance regulation office reported that golf carts, scooters and power tools also carry these fire risks.
Lithium-ion batteries that have been submerged in salt water are susceptible to “thermal runaway,” which describes a process that is accelerated by an increase in temperature, resulting in the release of energy that then further increases the temperature. These fires also have the potential to ignite and reignite weeks after an event occurred.
“These EV fires are uniquely dangerous because, unlike a combustion engine, the fire will keep reigniting,” Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis said in a release. “Moreover, it’s especially dangerous if there’s an EV, golf cart or scooter in a storm-ravaged home. The battery system can become compromised, prompting a fire, which is again, something we really don’t experience with combustion engines.”
The State Fire Marshal’s Office and Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles have determined that more than 9,700 EVs were registered to drivers within parts of Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties that were hit by Hurricane Ian. Of that total, more than 7,000 were Tesla vehicles and some 3,400 Teslas were within a 50-meter area that was “inundated with salty storm surge waters,” according to the insurance office.
For EV owners that were impacted by Hurricane Ian, the State Fire Marshal’s Office recommends the following:
- If a vehicle is smoking or on fire, call 911.
- Follow manufacturers’ recommendations and never drive a car that was submerged.
- If a submerged EV or hybrid vehicle is in a garage or parked adjacent to other structures or vehicles, do not turn it on or attempt to charge it. Further, do not attempt the open the battery pack at any time.
- Make sure the tow-truck operator knows how to handle EVs. Improperly moving an EV can recharge the battery, potentially causing a new fire.
Additionally, if a home or business has an energy storage system that was submerged, shut the power off to the unit and contact the manufacturer for information. If it is showing signs of white smoke, call 911.
“As I have stated, we have a real-world experiment ongoing in Florida with salt water and EVs, and it’s in the manufacturer’s interest to do something about it before we have further loss of property, or heaven forbid life, in Florida — or in other parts of the nation,” Patronis said. “Due to fire reignition risks, it’s a concern for the rest of the nation if EVs compromised by salt water are resold, and we’ve already gotten unconfirmed reports of these causing fires outside of Florida.”
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