The EV Revolution – Are We Playing with Fire?
By Nick Needs, McLean Events, Conferences & Media Ltd
The intention of this cautionary tale is not to unnerve fuel retailers
or to influence the opinion of those looking to invest in an electric
vehicle, its purpose is to highlight the need to future-proof our EV
infrastructure against degradation and mitigate the risk of fire.
In the October edition of erpecnews, we touched on how the
emergence of all-electric vehicles has started to reshape our
forecourts from \u2018fuel with a shop\u2019 to multi-faceted operations
offering both traditional and alternative fuels. But are we jumping
the gun? Or is this simply a case of being driven by the global dream
of net zero, to such a degree that we are blinded to the potential
dangers of EV fires and an inferior supporting infrastructure?
What lies ahead?
The European Union predicts there will be 30 million EVs on the
road by 2030, which may seem optimistic, but it is certainly
achievable if the market continues to track the current trajectory.
Today, the vast majority of EV infrastructure is comparatively new
and consequently, in good working order. However, if we fast
forward to the end of the decade, how well will it stand the test of
time after prolonged and intense customer use? Moreover, the
need to alleviate the substantial expense of charger installations
may give rise to low-cost, inferior-quality charging cables
infiltrating the marketplace.
Over time, all road-going vehicles will experience wear and tear,
probably incur the odd minor knock and almost certainly drive over
uneven road surfaces and EVs are no exception. Hitting a pothole
impacts a vehicle\u2019s undercarriage and suspension system; and in
the case of an EV, it may result in unseen damage to the battery.
Furthermore, consumer demand for convenient, fast charging
stations places additional strain on the EV battery \u2013 weakening its
reserve capacity and shortening its life.
Without regular safety checks and maintenance, coupling an ageing
EV population with a deteriorating charging network could be a
recipe for disaster.
Thermal Runway
A thermal runaway in a battery is a self- destructive chain reaction
that cannot be stopped once it has begun. It creates a feedback
loop of rising heat and if left undetected it can lead to devastating
results, such as fire and explosion.
A Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery is particularly susceptible to thermal
runaway due to its composition. The cathode and anode electrodes
are divided by a very thin polythene separator. Should this
separator rupture, typically during charging, a short circuit follows
which initiates the thermal runaway process. The temperature
quickly rises to the melting point of the metallic lithium and causes
a violent reaction.
Almost all EVs are powered by Li-ion batteries, making them
vulnerable to the alarming possibility of thermal runaway.
Thankfully, EV fires are very infrequent, perhaps owing to the
immaturity of both EVs and the associated infrastructure.
The Consequences
In this section, we determine the challenges posed by an EV fire
that differentiates it from that of an internal combustion engine
(ICE) and detail the risk to society and the environment.
Firstly, there is an enormous disparity between the burning
temperatures \u2013 an EV will burn at circa 1200 degrees Celsius,
whilst an ICE generally reaches no more than 600 degrees. During
an EV fire, a loud fizzing sound can be heard as the thermal
runaway moves through battery cells, often followed by large jets
of flame which can extend up to three metres in length. These fire
jets can cause untold damage to nearby vehicles, charging
infrastructure and property, not to mention the risk to human life.
EV fires produce a significant amount of smoke and soot containing
both carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, which are highly
toxic potentially fatal. Flame-retardant clothing and protective
breathing apparatus are a must when tackling an EV fire, so it is
safe to say that the job must always be left to professional
firefighters.
Extinguishing the flames
Firefighters have two main options, let the fire burn out or
extinguish it. Most would say that the obvious choice is to
extinguish the fire, however, many car manufacturers advise a
controlled burn, allowing the firefighters to focus on protecting the
surrounding area.
Fires involving Li-ion batteries are extremely difficult to extinguish
and burn at formidable temperatures for hours on end. Even when
the fire has been successfully put out, the problem for the fire
brigade is not over. Electric vehicle fires have the tendency to
reignite hours, days or even weeks after the initial blaze, and they
can do so many times. Not only does this pose a safety issue, but
it also poses a legal issue: recovery firms areincreasingly concerned
about transporting firedamaged EVs.
Car park charging facilities
There is a growing sense of concern about the dangers and
apparent spontaneity of EV fires, especially if they happen in an
underground or multi-story car park charging facility. The confined
space generates a high concentration of toxic smoke and soot,
reducing visibility to less than half a metre and creating a potential
death trap for the public trying to flee from the site.
The extreme heat intensity of Li-ion battery fires could cause
structural fatigue in basement car parks, undermining the integrity
of the concrete pillars where EV charging poles are now being
installed. The current sprinkler systems in these facilities will have
little to no impact on an EV fire, the Li-ion battery will simply
continue to burn until it burns itself out.
High Profile EV Fires
Feliticy Ace
The sinking of the Felicity Ace was a $500 million tragedy that
39APEA tel: 0345 603 5507 www.apea.org.uk
Articles
should never have happened. The 656-foot-long carrier ship
caught fire, taking 3,828 cars to the bottom of the ocean with
enormous consequences for the automotive manufacturers
concerned. After the fire broke out in the cargo hold, it spread
rapidly and forced all 22 crew members to abandon the ship. The
unmanned ship drifted on the Atlantic and continued to burn for
over a week before slipping under the waves.
The Felicity Ace had been carrying a large number of fully electric
vehicles which are thought to be the cause of the blaze, and are
certainly to blame for the fire being very difficult to control.
The cargo ship belonged to Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), which has
already gone on record stating that it won\u2019t transport used EVs
anymore. Hybrids are fine, but used battery-powered full-electric
vehicles are no longer welcome.
Richard Hammond
In June 2017, former BBC Top Gear presenter, Richard Hammond,
was involved in a serious car crash at the Hemberg hill climb event
in Switzerland.
He was driving a Croatian $1 million, Rimac Concept One all-
electric 221 mph supercar when he lost control and came off the
road. The vehicle rolled down a hillside before coming to a standstill
on its roof. Fortunately, Hammond was able to climb out of the car
and scramble to safety, seconds before it exploded into flames and
burnt to a shell.
Jamie Thompson
Having met up recently with Jamie Thompson, who for most of his
career was the Principal Petroleum Inspector of the London Fire
Brigade, we asked him for his thoughts on the fire risks surrounding
EV\u2019s. He commented \u201cThis matter demonstrates one of the risks
the industry faces as we move away from ICE vehicles.
Having spent most of my career attempting to mitigate the hazards
of petrol delivery, distribution and dispensing, it is inevitable that
whatever \u2018fuel\u2019 we use to replace petrol and diesel, i.e. electric,
hydrogen, biofuels etc we will encounter challenges which will have
to be dealt with\u201d. Jamie is currently Chairman of the Association of
Petroleum & Explosives Association (APEA) Technical committee.
Conclusion
To reiterate, EV fires are currently incredibly rare and pose a far
smaller threat to drivers than Hybrids or ICE vehicles.
As a quick comparison*:
>> Petrol\/diesel vehicles: 1,529 fires per 100K sales
>> Electric vehicles: 25 fires per 100K sales
Indeed, battery electric vehicles (BEV) have only a 0.025% risk of
catching fire in normal operation, making them the safest vehicles
on the roads today! But who knows \u2013 the future may tell a different
story…
*Figures supplied by the National Transportation Safety Board<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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