U.S. probes EV batteries after Chevy Volt fire

[ScienceRocks]

U.S. probes EV batteries after Chevy Volt fire
reuters ^ | 11/11/2011 | John Crawley and Ben Klayman

U.S. probes EV batteries after Chevy Volt fire | Reuters
U.S. regulators are investigating the safety of batteries used to power electric vehicles after a General Motors Co Chevrolet Volt caught fire following a routine crash test.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday that it has asked other manufacturers who make electric cars or who plan to do so for information on how they handle lithium-ion batteries. The request also includes recommendations for minimizing fire risk.

NHTSA said it does not believe the Volt and other electric vehicles are at greater risk for fire than gasoline-powered engines.

"First and foremost, I want to make this very clear: The Volt is a safe car," Jim Federico, GM chief engineer for electric vehicles, said in a statement.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...

 

[RGR]

That would all sound pretty worrisome if it weren't for the idea that they had to crash and damage the thing first, then they sat around for awhile knowing the battery integrity had been compromised, and then something happened.

Gasoline is so much safer, I am surprised everyone doesn't use it.

 

[TruthSeeker56]

That would all sound pretty worrisome if it weren't for the idea that they had to crash and damage the thing first, then they sat around for awhile knowing the battery integrity had been compromised, and then something happened.

Gasoline is so much safer, I am surprised everyone doesn't use it.

Apparently gasoline is indeed safer than lithium-ion batteries, since the Chevy Volt operates mostly on gasoline, and it was the 35-mile-range batteries in the Volt that caught fire, NOT the gasoline.

 

[Old Rocks]

Seen enough gasoline fires in cars to know that the batteries are safer than gasoline. For one thing, they don't run rapidly downhill in case of a fire.

 

[RGR]

Apparently gasoline is indeed safer than lithium-ion batteries, since the Chevy Volt operates mostly on gasoline, and it was the 35-mile-range batteries in the Volt that caught fire, NOT the gasoline.

Sure...the gasoline didn't explode after the accident which apparently allowed the Volt batteries to burn. And good thing it took awhile after the accident for the Volt to catch fire, giving everyone inside time to get out, stand around, stare at it, and go home while the Volt slowly sat there for awhile before doing...whatever it did.

Whereas when gasoline does go, it isn't near so slow moving, right?

Good Samaritans Pulled Crash Victims from Burning Van - WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News

 

[Mad Scientist]

Whereas when gasoline does go, it isn't near so slow moving, right?

The difference is that you can put out a gasoline fire.

Quick! How do you put out a LiPo battery Fire? 30 Seconds!

(Que Jeopardy Music!)

Answer: A Class D Chemical Fire Extinguisher. (Not water) You have one of those handy?

 

[Old Rocks]

As a matter of fact. Carry one in both vehicles.

 

[RGR]

Whereas when gasoline does go, it isn't near so slow moving, right?

The difference is that you can put out a gasoline fire.

Quick! How do you put out a LiPo battery Fire? 30 Seconds!

(Que Jeopardy Music!)

Answer: A Class D Chemical Fire Extinguisher. (Not water) You have one of those handy?

If you are going to keep enough stored electrical power around to run a car 40 miles I recommend you keep one handy....just like you might one in case your car catches fire in your garage. Safety first, regardless of the fuel type, right?

 

[whitehall]

You gotta laugh though. The left wing media isn't even talking about the hazzards of battery operated vehicles but a few years ago they used hollywood special effects to try to tell us that Chevy trucks were unsafe. They got a beautiful scary explosion in a Chevy truck covered artistically by the cameras in a staged crash but Chevy smelled a rat. The truck was located in a junk yard sure enough evidence was found that the fire was faked.

 

[KissMy]

Automobile electrical fires is why code requires a floor to roof 2 hour burning time fire wall rating between your home & garage.

 

[uscitizen]

Damn government is overregulating the auto industry.

 

[Old Rocks]

And that was for ICE vehicles.

 

[KissMy]

3300 residential fires originate in extension cords each year, killing 50 people and injuring about 270 others. That number will increase with the heavy load these cars pull through their charging cords.

 

[Old Rocks]

Hmmm...... Electrical codes will have to be put in force concerning the charging systems for the cars. Just as there are electrical codes for the wires going to your kitchen stove.

And there will always be the fools that find a way to do damage to themselves and others. Look at the number of people early in the automobiles history that checked the gas tank level with the light of a match. Darwin rules.

 

[KissMy]

The Chevy Volt Battery puts out 330-volts of electricity. That is triple the 110-volts your wall sockets put out.

Future Headline Prediction:

5 Cheerleaders Electrocuted By Chevy Volt

Local senior high cheer leaders were holding their annual fund-raising car-wash yesterday. Apparently one of their customers pulled in for a wash in a Chevy Volt that had a crack in the insulation covering a wire. While the girls were washing the car water seeped into the wire & electrified the water they were standing in as they were touching the car. School will be out tomorrow as the town mourns the tragic loss of five high spirited girls.