Another reason to hate electric vehicles?

[Meanderthal]

I agree lithium ion battery fires are definitely more difficult to extinguish, but you seem to also imply deaths occur more frequently with EV fires than with ICE/hybrid vehicle fires. I haven't seen stats on this. Have you?



Many EV manufacturers are switching from lithium ion to lithium iron phosphate batteries, in part due to their greater thermal stability and resistance to thermal runaway.

I did not mean to imply that deaths were higher in EV fires, though they may be. The damage caused by the fires is much more than fires in ICE vehicles. The damage in an EV fire is not only the vehicle but to anything around it. It seems that most ICE fires end up damaging the vehicle with minor damage to things that are around it.

I thought that there was recently an EV fire in a tunnel here, but it looks like an ICE vehicle. They only had to close the tunnel for about an hour but I'm guessing an EV fire would have damaged the tunnel to the point that it would have taken days to fix.

https://www.kktv.com/2023/07/17/i-70-closed-eisenhower-tunnel-colorado-monday-vehicle-fire/

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[Mark S.]

I did not mean to imply that deaths were higher in EV fires, though they may be. The damage caused by the fires is much more than fires in ICE vehicles. The damage in an EV fire is not only the vehicle but to anything around it. It seems that most ICE fires end up damaging the vehicle with minor damage to things that are around it.

I thought that there was recently an EV fire in a tunnel here, but it looks like an ICE vehicle. They only had to close the tunnel for about an hour but I'm guessing an EV fire would have damaged the tunnel to the point that it would have taken days to fix.

https://www.kktv.com/2023/07/17/i-70-closed-eisenhower-tunnel-colorado-monday-vehicle-fire/

Got it. Like any new tech, there's a learning curve. I think we'll eventually figure it out.

 

[Dude]

Besides EVs, these and more also contain lithium batteries and bet most of you heard these have also cause fires.

E-bikes
e-scooters
Hover boards,
self-balancing e-scooters,
unicycle e-scooters, etc.

So where would you keep the batteries for these (if even are removable), inside the house to keep an eye on the battery or outside in the garage?

Pros and cons of both choices. Inside the house is a more constant temperature and for sure while charging these batteries it’s best to monitor the charging. An expanding battery or one getting hot to the touch while charging is a cause for alarm. Keeping outside in the garage usually has wider temp extremes and where I live the outdoor temp in the summer easily exceeds the storage temperature of many lithium batteries.

I keep my E-bike battery (710Wh, 19.6Ah, 36.3V) inside the house in an area I see it multiple times a day but of course I’m only monitoring it while it’s under charge and only charge to about 80-90%.

There are many more good practices to use for lithium batteries, the above info is only the “beginner” guide, read the manual that comes with a lithium battery product thoroughly.

 

[Bronco II]

With the electrical network we have in the US EVs are not sustainable or viable unless you want the power companies to double or triple your power bill to upgrade the power infrastructure because they the power companies are not going to us any of their billions of dollars of profit to due it.

 

[Dude]

Yes you are correct upgrading the power grid is absolutely necessary regardless if EVs existed or not. Its cost will run $1T to multiple trillions of dollars. It’s going to create huge numbers of jobs across many industries. And train lots of people into good paying jobs. One of the thoughts being considered is local power generation and storage regionally, down to neighborhoods but the most exciting is power generation and storage at each home, apartment building, etc.

 

[ScareCrow]

The prognosis for a fire onboard a cargo ship transporting thousands of cars has taken a turn for the worse, as news has come out that the vessel is carrying far more electric vehicles than initially reported. It worsens the odds of containing the fire and salvaging the ship, which is reportedly at risk of sinking in an ecologically significant area.

That Flaming Cargo Ship Is Loaded With Nearly 500 EVs, Not 25

 

[Robins21]

That is not looking to good.

 

[thomasm23]

1909 and I am considering purchasing one of these new Ford Model T vehicles. But these vehicles are using an ICE to propel itself. I am not sure if I want to trade in my horse and buggy.

How will we ever have enough oil and refining capacity along with enough stations to fill my fuel tank? Plus, I hear that this fuel is very flammable.

My horse and buggy looks better the more I look at these ICE vehicles.

 

[davidg4781]

With the electrical network we have in the US EVs are not sustainable or viable unless you want the power companies to double or triple your power bill to upgrade the power infrastructure because they the power companies are not going to us any of their billions of dollars of profit to due it.

I just watched a video on YouTube (MKBHD if you want to look it up) where he bought a $100k Tesla roof/battery system. He says payback will be about 10 years and has only been paying $6/month to the electric company for having an open account.

I wonder if, 10-20 years in the future, more and more homes will have this technology and at a quicker payback. Maybe not enough to go 100% off the grid but enough so that EV drain on the current grid is more of a non-issue.

I'm not sure how I feel about them. I know there are there's that thing about mining for lithium and how it might be a more finite resource than petroleum. But pumping oil isn't 100% pure and clean either.

 

[Dude]

I just watched a video on YouTube (MKBHD if you want to look it up) where he bought a $100k Tesla roof/battery system. He says payback will be about 10 years and has only been paying $6/month to the electric company for having an open account.

I wonder if, 10-20 years in the future, more and more homes will have this technology and at a quicker payback. Maybe not enough to go 100% off the grid but enough so that EV drain on the current grid is more of a non-issue.

I'm not sure how I feel about them. I know there are there's that thing about mining for lithium and how it might be a more finite resource than petroleum. But pumping oil isn't 100% pure and clean either.

I’m hoping it is not 10-20 years in the future but one of the thoughts being considered is local power generation and storage regionally, down to neighborhoods but the most exciting is power generation and storage at each home, apartment building, etc.

btw I don’t quite see the math for a 10 year payback for a $100k Tesla roof/battery system. The life of solar panels I’ve read is about 20 years, probably less for the battery system and in many areas of the country we cannot sell power back to the utility companies at any reasonable rate per kWh. Thanks for the YouTube info I’ll take a look to see how the math works out.

 

[Bucko]

For me, it's still the price (and range in some cases) that keep me from buying an EV. Fires are not a major concern, as the stats show they are not a huge risk.

 

[davidg4781]

I’m hoping it is not 10-20 years in the future but one of the thoughts being considered is local power generation and storage regionally, down to neighborhoods but the most exciting is power generation and storage at each home, apartment building, etc.

btw I don’t quite see the math for a 10 year payback for a $100k Tesla roof/battery system. The life of solar panels I’ve read is about 20 years, probably less for the battery system and in many areas of the country we cannot sell power back to the utility companies at any reasonable rate per kWh. Thanks for the YouTube info I’ll take a look to see how the math works out.

I was watching off and on. His channel is usually interesting, tech interest me, but I'm no way in the market for a solar roof.

I think his math was from the fact that he has high electricity consumption due to an EV and studio things.

 

[Dude]

I was watching off and on. His channel is usually interesting, tech interest me, but I'm no way in the market for a solar roof.

I think his math was from the fact that he has high electricity consumption due to an EV and studio things.

Hey davidg4781, very interesting video, thanks for posting! Here’s the link to make it easier for others to view.


On the system he described, you are correct that he did calculate his payback at 9.6 years. It’s longer than that for a couple reasons i mentioned earlier and another is because the system out of pocket cost after federal credit was about $93k and he could have invested that about of money earning no less than 5% but more like like 7-12% on average.

Regardless, local power generation and local storage I believe is the way the future will evolve. (Let’s not bring up the microreactor (small nuclear reactor) perhaps not for home use (yet) but at least at a city size level).

 

[Bronco II]

Why are there no self charging EVs it could be done and im not talking regen braking either.

 

[Dude]

Ok people ..
[Jul 13, 2023] The fastest-charging electric race car for long-distance racing in the world… The racing monster is capable of fully recharging in less than four minutes.

InMotion started designing and producing the new battery pack in the race car with more than thirty students in November 2022.

https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/13-07-2023-inmotion-develops-fastest-charging-electric-race-car-in-the-world

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