How safe is your electric car?

Written by rivercitymalone.com on February 24, 2022. Posted in Current News

As I write these words, a cargo ship loaded with Porches, Audis, and Bentleys is adrift and on fire off the Azores—a fire almost certainly caused by one of the cars exploding and going into what’s called thermal runaway.

Why would a vehicle explode? Because of the volatile lithium-ion batteries installed. What follows is a chain reaction.

The ship is toast. Trying to extinguish the flames with water is pointless: Water doesn’t work on lithium-ion battery fires. (Click here and here to find out why. It’s called thermal runaway in the fire suppression business and it is typical of lithium-ion fires.)

A number of electric luxury cars caught fire aboard the ship, which was then abandoned as the blaze spread throughout the vessel. According to Reuters, it is unclear if the batteries started the fire, or if the fire started elsewhere and spread to the batteries.

“The ship is burning from one end to the other … everything is on fire about five metres above the water line,” the ship’s captain, Joao Mendes Cabecas, told the outlet. Experts are now going to be called out to help stop the blaze, as burning lithium-ion batteries can be difficult to stop. Lithium-ion battery fires often require dry chemicals or total flooding of the battery with water to stop.

According to a study done in 2013 by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Development, the batteries burn extremely hot and produce noxious gases. “In the event of a lithium ion battery catching fire, it is important to note that such a fire reaches very high temperatures, produces toxic gases and is inextinguishable,” the report concluded.

Fires caused by the batteries – or which they are caught up in – have become a major concern for international shipping entities, particularly as electric vehicles become more affordable and popular among consumers. The US Transportation Research Board funded a 2022 study noting the risks and a lack of current readiness to deal with potential fires. “Lithium-ion battery fire risks are currently undermanaged in transit operations,” the study said.

The Portuguese maritime authority shared photos of extensive burning along the bow and side of the ship. The ship, the Felicity Ace, was on its way from Germany to a port in Rhode Island when it began broadcasting distress signals on Wednesday. The crew of 22 evacuated the ship, but the more 1,000 Porches, nearly 200 Bentleys and an unknown number of Audis were left aboard.

Tragically, the men (and women?) being lowered by helicoper onto the stricken ship are also toast.

The lithium hexafluorophosphate electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries turns into hydrofluoric gas and acid (HF) when the batteries ignite or explode.

Here is a schematic diagram of a typical lithium-ion battery, as used in solar & wind BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems).

It’s misleading to call these “Lithium-Ion” batteries. They should really be called “Lithium-Hexafluorophosphate” batteries — to draw attention to the HF gas and acid exposure when these batteries ignite or explode.

The electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries is typically lithium hexafluorophosphate. This is the source of the fluorine in the hydrogen fluoride gas (vapor or mist or smoke) and hydrofluoric acid ejected during thermal runaway or fire or explosion.

See more here: rivercitymalone.com

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