Lithium Batteries

Lower cargo holds are pressurized, but may not be fully controlled heating (fwd, aft, or both will be heated).

UPS 747 Crash Highlights Lithium Battery Danger - FLYING Magazine

 

At least in your carry-on it will likely be detected before half the airplane is engulfed in smoke and flames

 

Good, ban comfort animals from passenger cabins.

 

Not so! The Mercedes EV that recently caught fire in a Korean apartment parking garage had been sitting for 59 hours, NOT charging, when for some reason it spontaneously combusted, damaging a reported 140 cars and destroying at least 40. I have even heard of cellphones, NOT charging, that also spontaneously have caught fire.

 

EVs frequently aren't truly 'off' even if they haven't been used for a long time. At least the way Tesla's work, they power the standby systems (waiting for keyfobs, remote access and the like) off of a small 12V battery. When that battery gets low then the main battery contactors are engaged and it recharges the small battery. That will happen periodically as the car is sitting. Other EVs may keep the main battery engaged and running the standby systems the whole time.

 

Now South Korea is considering a total ban on EVs in parking garages. Perhaps a good idea.

 

Lithium-ion fires are some of the scariest fires I've ever seen. From what I've gathered to understand, they're damn near impossible to put out. That's what makes me so worried about Ferrari testing out that EV car in Milano.

 

Tesla heavy truck hauling Pepsi pulled off highway 80 in California up near Donner Pass and caught fire. State and local fire crews stood by hosing it down for about a day trying to keep it from causing a forest fire.

How long until we accept it as a bad idea?

 

Well, how'd you like to try and get an EV on an auto transport ship?
Or to insure the ship itself??

 

The one that caught fire at sea on its way here from Europe a while back as I understand it was due to a battery fire.
That was a big insurance claim. Makes you wonder how insurance companies are going to start viewing them in general.
Many big city parking facilities are banning them from being in the structure.

 

I thought you could bring batteries up to a certain MaH capacity?

I have 'claimed' all of mine every time I fly and I've never been questioned,
some in my check bag, some in my carryon:
Cell phone, tablet, laptop, in my Nikons, spare batts for my Nikons...

 

If you own an EV Vehicle, make sure your homeowner's insurance is not VOIDED if you park it indoors.
I have read that is the case with some policies.
READ the fine print, don't just ask your Agent.

 

On a brighter note, I'll bet a more efficient less dangerous alternative battery is coming soon.

 

Lithium is used because it is the bet new powersource but it is a fire hazard long known but ignored. We know of "thermal runaway". It is old science. It can happen with lead acid but not likely. Li is a real issue as we all know. Once something better comes along Li will be dead. the reason lead acid still exists is because it works. Li is light and often used in racecars. I have seen a number of racecars burn from their Li batteries. A racecar is a hot environment. Heat seems to encourage the thermal runaway. I'm sure you all have experienced a hot cell phone. That's the runaway process starting but they don't often go critical. I have put my phone in the refrigerator for a bit and like magic the process stops. oh and thermal runaway is spontaneous.

 

Its called Hybrid. Only electric power source that makes any sense at all. Been around for a very long time . Trains, ships submarines etc.
Straight electric is a dead end. We will never have the generation or transmission capacity.

 

I thought Hydrogen was 'the way to go' several years ago?

And I still think they COULD develop a nuclear powered car that would not cause a catastrophe if it was compromised...

I also wonder what GREAT things have been invented that the Oil companies bought and then smothered out...