Burnt-out electric cars pose a health risk, as carcinogenic substances can accumulate on the batteries. There are no guidelines in this area.
Burnt-out electric cars and especially their batteries can pose serious health risks. A central problem is the carcinogenic substances that can accumulate on the surface of the batteries.
In addition, the car scrappers have to deal with the risk that the batteries can re-ignite. That has also already happened. Read more about it here.
The harmful batteries cause concern. Both for the environment and the people whose livelihood it may be to handle the burned-out electric cars.
A specific case at Næstved Autoophug, which Motor magazine describes, illustrates the problem. Here, a burned-out electric car has been in a container for more than a year.
– The battery can still ignite, and there can be harmful dust that is carcinogenic, says Jakob Kristensen, head of development at the recycling company Stena Recycling, to the media.
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These kinds of dust particles can spread and harm both people and nature. According to Poul Norby, professor of chemistry and battery specialist at DTU, batteries are not only an acute fire hazard.
but also a long-term health risk. Handling such cars requires special equipment and expertise. But even with these precautions, the risk associated with handling the batteries can be completely eliminated.
The problem of burnt-out electric cars is still relatively limited in Denmark. But it is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
Mobilty Denmark, the car importers' trade association, estimates that in 2030 there will be one million more electric cars on Danish roads than originally assumed. This will likely lead to more fires and thus more burnt batteries that need to be handled safely.
Auto scrappers today face major challenges. The burned-out electric cars and their batteries cannot be reused or recycled in the traditional way. In addition to the economic losses, there is also an increased risk of harmful substances escaping into the environment if they are not treated correctly.
This raises the question of whether there is a need for stricter rules and better technological solutions. As it is right now, burnt-out electric cars leave a bill of DKK 40,000, for example, when, for example, the battery in a burnt-out Tesla needs to be properly removed from the road.
