Lithium battery explosion at GM lab

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by fotomoto, Apr 11, 2012.

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    fotomoto Senior Member

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    fotomoto, Apr 11, 2012
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    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    o great
    like oil on fire this will spread... not that great
    everybody will be saying OO the volt is not safe... where this happen at a R en D lab
    Flying White Dutchman, Apr 11, 2012
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    massparanoia Terminate with Xtreme Rhetoric

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    massparanoia, Apr 11, 2012
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    css28 Active Member

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    I heard the emergency vehicles going by :(
    I'm about a mile south of the tech center.

    I hope this doesn't get too hyped.

    - Chris
    css28, Apr 11, 2012
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    scottf200 Member

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    Key point:
    "The incident was unrelated to the Chevrolet Volt or any other production vehicle.
    The incident was related to extreme testing on a prototype battery."

    Explosion, Fire At GM Battery Labs, Two Injured: UPDATED
    BY JOHN VOELCKER

    Explosion, Fire At GM Battery Labs, Two Injured: UPDATED
    scottf200, Apr 11, 2012
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    scottf200 Member

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    Re: Explosion at GM battery lab

    Key point:
    "The incident was unrelated to the Chevrolet Volt or any other production vehicle.
    The incident was related to extreme testing on a prototype battery."

    Explosion, Fire At GM Battery Labs, Two Injured: UPDATED
    BY JOHN VOELCKER

    Explosion, Fire At GM Battery Labs, Two Injured: UPDATED
    scottf200, Apr 11, 2012
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    Keiichi Active Member

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    Re: Explosion at GM battery lab

    Of course, people will not listen to the key points, they will just center on certain words and make associations that aren't exactly accurate.
    Keiichi, Apr 11, 2012
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    hill High Fiber Member

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    Re: Explosion at GM battery lab

    I wish they'd said exactly WHAT they consider 'extreme' . . . . and that by 'extreme' - they don't mean charging at 6.6kWh
    ;)

    .
    hill, Apr 11, 2012
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    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Re: Explosion at GM battery lab

    Wow the Volt is dangerous. Stay away!
    macmaster05, Apr 11, 2012
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    austingreen Senior Member

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    Re: Explosion at GM battery lab

    Don't know what extreme is, but these are experimental batteries. I'm surprised they weren't doing it in a test chamber if it was really extreme.

    My guess is its one of the A123 batteries for the Spark and they were quick charging it.

    I know when I was a kid my dad let me go to see them blow up batteries at JCI. They were testing for jump charging. Closed chamber to keep the hydrogen in, plus heating and cooling, with its own sprinkler. :D I only got to see batteries from other manufacturers blow up. I think I did see a delco.

    I'm glad they put these batteries through testing before putting them in cars. Its crazy that they did it in a way that people got hurt.
    austingreen, Apr 11, 2012
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    Jeff N Active Member

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    Re: Explosion at GM battery lab

    We don't really know what happened yet. It's entirely possible they were testing a research prototype cell or pack not intended for a near-term production car. It's likely that GM is getting battery cells from manufacturers other than LG Chem and A123 for advanced testing purposes. All GM has stated so far is that it did not involve the cells used in the current production Volt.

    The description I just read from one of the Detroit newspapers online said that the explosion damaged some heavy doors and caused some structural damage so it is also possible that the battery was contained inside some kind of testing container when it exploded but the heat and chemicals managed to escape the containment barrier and injure someone.
    Jeff N, Apr 11, 2012
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    fotomoto Senior Member

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    I'm nearly 100% sure I posted this thread in the main forum for "Other Cars" and not in the Volt forum specifically because I didn't want to appear as trying to link this incident to the Volt.

    I sincerely request it be moved back to either the Other Cars forum or Hybrid news. If this was entirely my mistake, my sincere apologies but I still request it be moved. Thank you.
    fotomoto, Apr 11, 2012
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    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    What a ridiculous story, but the damage will be done.

    I wouldn't be surprised if GM moved their R&D dept overseas and then nonsense stories like this couldn't be released but it'd be your loss.
    GrumpyCabbie, Apr 11, 2012
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    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator

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    I don't see that it was moved at all so I think it was posted originally in the Volt forum foto but no big deal at all. I've moved it to the news forum since it is news on a GM prototype battery exploding/catching fire.
    Paradox, Apr 11, 2012
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    Keiichi Active Member

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    Re: Explosion at GM battery lab

    I don't think it was crazy, more like underestimating the possible reaction. After all, to purposely destroy a cell or pack, the potential was probably thought to be 'small', but Li-Ion packs have become more 'dense' in their reaction that maybe a more powerful one reacting with more power than expected.
    Keiichi, Apr 11, 2012
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    Keiichi Active Member

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    Actually, Mass Paranoia posted in the Alt fuel News.
    Keiichi, Apr 11, 2012
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    fotomoto Senior Member

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    30 minutes after this one begun. Gotta' be quick around here! ;)
    fotomoto, Apr 11, 2012
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    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator

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    The other one has been merged into this one since this one was in existence first. :D
    Paradox, Apr 11, 2012
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    Jeff N Active Member

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    Jeff N, Apr 11, 2012
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    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Sigh... on Nightly Business Report (video and transcript will probably be up in a few hours at NBR | Nightly Business Report), they mentioned that the explosion is raising "new questions about the safety of the lithium ion batteries by/in hybrid vehicles". :rolleyes: Let's see. What's the installed base and current sales of hybrid vehicles w/lithium ion batteries vs. NiMH?

    They did later mention the all-electric Spark and "battery powered" Volt.
    cwerdna, Apr 11, 2012
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