Source: Large lithium batteries should never be shipped as tightly as ICE vehicles. But it draws attention to a latent design defect of EV traction batteries ... the absence of a battery "flood" port. One of the better EV fire tools is a very high pressure, water wand. Effectively a "water jet" cutting tool on a wand, it can cut into the battery case and then flood the cells. Once water cooled, the EV fire effectively goes away. Speculation, two "water jet" ports on either side of an EV would likely solve the problem. This would let fire fighting crews quickly flood the pack with enough water to stop thermal runaway. It still requires prompt removal to a disassembly yard equipped to handle a battery run-away. Not trivial but necessary for public safety. So I have two EVs and a solar roof, buffer battery. The two cars are parked several feet away from the house. But the battery is mounted on the exterior, shady side of kitchen wall. Fire risk, yes, but I also have natural gas to the furnace, 50 year old, house wiring, and recently cut down two 180 ft, pine tree lightning rods in the front yard. Bob Wilson
Who came up with this idea, and what were they on when the thought it Depending on the chemistry, LFP, LTO, Sodium Ion, don't catch fire, so there no fire to put out. NMC and any lithium cell with cobalt in it, makes it's own oxygen when it reaches thermal runaway, so you can't smother it or cool it. Cover it with a fire proof blanket and let it burn itself out ..... Here is a video to prove what I'm saying Hyundai Kona EV fire - long version T1 Terry
People that are frustrated that we can't buy Chinese EVS ought to consider something very important. Quality control. Even China's flagship, the BYD. Think the USA fires from ev's are an issue? You ain't seen nothing. It makes sense. Think how tight-lipped China media was about responsibility for the covid virus. Would it be any less - if quality control were an issue as they flood the market with millions of Chinese ev's? China keeps a tight rain on what people can say when it comes to complaining. The Human Rights Implications of China’s Social Credit System | OHRH .
There is a fundamental problem, the amount of energy in the pack. Be skeptical about claims of being “inflammable.” Energy is heat, a lot that a battery can release in a short time. Sure some chemistries are ‘less bad’ but the announcements are often made by those who are not doing whole pack, to destruction testing. Besides, how can any beyond a few EV geeks tell what chemistry is in any battery pack. For example, his channel shows ievidence LiFePo emit less flame but the outgas is explosive. EVs are different but share similar risks in a different form. Whole pack and design testing is need with real world, vehicular testing to destruction. Bob Wilson
At least fossil fuels are safe being delivered on the open sea, right? Salvage efforts to rescue stricken Red Sea tanker Sounion makes 'slow' progress after oil ship was hit by Houthi missiles | Daily Mail Online ooops But maybe terrorists can hit container ships with lots of batteries, next time. .
But doesn't a typical EV only have about two or three times the energy of a gallon of gasoline all in a massive block that's the weight of hundreds of gallons of petroleum?
I think energy density per kilogram is probably the best measure of flammability. For example low density sodium-ion and LiFePo4 are typically low density and are way less flammable, as in they'll smoke and melt plastic but they aren't gonna burn hot enough to make their own oxygen and not go out till pack / vehicle is entirely combusted... But the catch is they're developing high density versions of both these chemistries in a lab and one sodium-ion density they're developing exceeds the highest density of lithium-ion, so I bet it would be real hard to put out just like lithium-ion
Sodium Ion are shipped at zero voltage, all others are shipped at a max of 50% SOC. No matter what some talking head claims, the vapour from an LFP or LTO battery can not and will not explode ..... insufficient oxygen for a rapid flame front. China has already mandated all batteries from the middle of this yr I think, must be proven to not be explosion proof .diesel when it gets hot, that self combusts, a high pressure line leaking onto a manifold .... and no matter what you try, that fire is not going to go out. If anyone stayed awake long enough to watch the Fire Brigade testing ground staged EV fire, would have seen how long they had to wait for the car interior to catch fire, that was the high intensity blaze, every car goes up like that if enough heat is involved. It was clear, the blanket that can be reused 20 times, was the most successful at containing the fire, simply shipping each vehicle in one of those blankets, no major fire will develop ..... can't make that claim with a diesel fire. T1 Terry
While sodium cells can tolerate 0 volts, I'm not aware of anyone shipping them at zero volts commercially. Starting 2026JAN01 30% SoC is the maximum allowed during vehicle transport (UN3556). This 30% limit is already in effect for UN3480. Pat is incredibly well respected in the firefighting community. He's an engineer, too, with both lab and real world lithium battery firefighting experience. His back catalog is filled with useful information. Literally Pat's previous video shows an LFP-equipped electric boat 'exploding' due to the 50% hydrogen gas LFP emits when venting:
