Electric Cars - fire risks

[Hotrodder]

I liked the simplicity, reminded me of this, inside a green Morgan 3-wheeler. I don't need zillions of menu choises. Less is more, also in price......

At least the Morgan got the single wheel at the correct end.

[niemeyjt]

Let's hope this wasn't the result of an electric car battery going puff.....

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bed ... s-67073446

"Luton Airport flights suspended after large car park fire"

It seems it started in a diesel ICE - although I guess if any EV subsequently caught fire then that would have exacerbated the problems.

[L Austin France]

At least the Morgan got the single wheel at the correct end.

One still fell over at 22 mph when Freddy Flintoff was driving

[Nomoss]

Good to know someone suggested installing sprinklers.

[niemeyjt]

So I wonder whose insurance is liable?

Lorraine Chase never had these problems.

[exile]

So I wonder whose insurance is liable?

Lorraine Chase never had these problems.

The lawyers will make a fortune out of this:

Having identified (or have they?) the seat of the fire, should their insurer carry the full cost for all losses? - analogous to the rear end multi car shunt.
Why were no automatic fire systems installed? A similar fire in Liverpool in 1997 had recommendations that sprinkler systems should be installed in such car parks.
Since this was a new build is someone therefore culpable that they were not fitted?
Who might that be? The airport? architect? building control? Planning offices? Department for transport? Builder? etc..

[Spectrum]

Just been reading an article that Tyre manufactures are now producing tyres specifically for EV cars, less derogation, = less pollution, only tested on Teslas yet put more sizes in 2024.

Surely they’ve always sold tyres specifically designed for EVs.

Apparently not, and this is the problem, EVs are a lot heaver than IC cars, also they accelerate faster, a lot more torque, the standard tyres are wearing down too quick, ie loosing bits of rubber etc on the road, hence more pollution. As for the fire I thought that they were very quick to say it was a diesel car that started the fire .

[niemeyjt]

Yes, another one of Solihull's finest - also responsible for a similar blaze in Liverpool a few years back I understand.

However, as I said above, it seems it then spread, and once it got to the EVs they were unextinguishable.

Tyres - I remember a teacher at school imported his VW Beetle from Kenya where the roads were dry and he boasted he had never needed to change the tyres as they were the Kenyan ones which were hard rubber and offered no grip. Conversely, F1 tyres stick like glue and wear out rapidly. In between these extremes, we have normal car tyres. Now it seems to me if EV tyres are going to last longer then they are likely to be nearer the Kenyan tyres than current ones are.

[exile]

@Spectrum
I sense some incredulity in your post that they have identified the seat of the fire so quickly and that it happened to be a diesel.

I can only comment from the one example I have been involved with, namely the complete destruction of a warehouse and several thousand tonnes of plastic raw materials. The investigators went in and found the seat of the fire within one hour. It was described as being as if there was a big sign hanging from what was left of the structure saying "Look. It started here" and that from inexpert eyes not from the professional fire investigators.

[niemeyjt]

As I read things, a Wizz Air cabin crew took a photo of the blazing Range Rover that started the fire before the fire had spread. The photo showed it to be on the driving lane, i.e. not parked and the rear lights were on.