DOT Meeting on EV Batteries Reveals Tech’s Dangerous Downside

DOT Meeting Talks About Safety Problems with EV Batteries

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more common in the U.S. As more people drive them, new safety problems are showing up, especially with their batteries. On August 27, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) held a meeting to discuss these safety issues.

Fire Risks with EV Batteries

At the meeting, experts talked about the dangers of EV batteries, mainly lithium-ion batteries. A big problem is that these batteries can catch fire again even after being put out. This can happen when the car is being towed or stored. Sometimes, the battery can catch fire again days later.

Victoria Hutchison, a senior research project manager at the Fire Protection Research Foundation, said electric cars that have caught fire should be kept at least 50 feet away from other things to prevent more fires. Some places put these cars in big water containers to stop them from catching fire again. But water can also cause fires in EV batteries. After Hurricane Ian in 2022, many electric cars that were underwater caught fire.

Challenges for Firefighters

Fires in EVs are hard for firefighters. It can take up to 90 minutes to put out an EV battery fire and thousands of gallons of water. This is much more than the 500 gallons needed for gas or diesel car fires. The water used on EV fires is also more toxic, which makes firefighting harder.

To help with these problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is thinking about new safety rules for EV batteries. These rules would include tests to make sure batteries are safe and provide emergency plans.

Moving EV Batteries

Transporting EV batteries is also risky. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has rules for air travel. These rules say you can’t carry lithium-ion batteries on passenger planes and that batteries must be charged to 30% or less. There are no specific rules yet for moving these batteries on the ground. But lithium-ion batteries are considered dangerous and have to follow certain safety rules.

Researchers are working on the Battery Logistics Integrated Safety System (BLISS) to make transporting EV batteries safer. This system will create smart containers and storage options to reduce fire risks and help find problems early.

Recent EV Battery Fires

Recent EV battery fires have caused more worry about safety. On August 19, a Tesla Semi electric truck caught fire on Interstate 80 in California, closing the road for a long time. A few weeks earlier, a truck carrying six EV batteries caught fire on Interstate 15, closing the road for two days.

Because of these fires, some lawmakers have asked to pause California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule. This rule says all new trucks must be zero-emission by 2036. The lawmakers are worried that battery fires could make roads unsafe and cause problems for travel and business as more electric trucks are used.