Electric cars have always seemed
like the wave of the future.
Countless movies have made us yearn
for cars that run on batteries
and can be charged
from the owner’s home.
What we weren’t prepared for
is the possibility of these cars exploding
like cell phones.
As of 2020, there were an estimated
6.8 million battery-powered vehicles
in use around the world,
with more than three million new vehicles
added that year alone.
Tesla, with more than 200,000
vehicles sold worldwide,
is leading the charge,
but most major manufacturers
are developing their own electric models.
Tesla is quick to point out that fires
are still far more common in gas-burning
vehicles than in electric ones,
but as your electric car goes up in flames
that may be of little comfort.
Tesla claims that there has been roughly
one Tesla vehicle fire
for every 330 million km (205 million mi)
traveled,
compared to one fire every
30.5 million km (19 million mi) traveled
in gas-powered vehicles.
Europe is the biggest market for
electric vehicles,
with Norway reporting seven
of every 10 cars sold in that nation
are running on batteries
instead of fossil fuels.
Electric vehicles are anticipated
to make up about 1% of all U.S.
vehicle sales by 2040,
or an average of 2.5 million all-electric
or hybrid cars sold every year
for the next 20 years.
As these numbers continue to increase,
so does the possibility
of you finding yourself
in this dire predicament.
Here’s what you need to do.
As with many survival scenarios,
leaving quickly is always a plus
but never more so
than when a car is on fire.
Get out of the car as quickly as possible
and put some distance
between you and the flames.
If your car has doors
with retractable handles
not working properly,
grab whatever you can
to break out the windows or sunroof.
And if you are a passenger,
you are probably at the highest risk
since the exploding battery case
is very likely underneath your seat.
When help arrives, firefighters will need
to find the core of the fire
and keep dousing it with water.
According to a guide released
for first responders,
an electric car fire can take 24 hours
to extinguish
and almost 800 L (3,000 gal) of water.
Once the fire has been put out
do not try to reenter the vehicle.
Some cars have been reported
to have reignited several times
over a few hours due to lingering hotspots
so it may not be a good idea to go back
and look for the ring
you dropped as you ran for your life.
It’s important to remember that
a battery explosion can be a threat to you
even if you're not in the car.
Just ask the California couple who were
sound asleep when their Tesla Model S
alerted them that its charge cycle
was interrupted.
Less than 15 minutes later, they received
another notification,
this time a loud alarm letting them know
their vehicle was damaged.
It also alerted them that their house
was on fire.
The couple,
who had two electric cars,
were able to get out safely,
but the original fire quickly spread
to the other.
This incident prompted warnings
about not charging cars in garages
overnight when they’re left unattended.
If an unlucky crash into a power line
is the cause of your battery's explosion
or you happen to be near a fallen line
when a fire starts,
take extra precaution since the car
is still electrified.
Throw some rainy weather into the mix
could make the entire situation
a major hazard for not just you,
but everyone around you.
If you find an electric current
heading toward you, don’t worry.
We'll tell you what to do to avoid that jolt
right here on How to Survive.