Fortunately, electric cars rarely catch fire. But when that happens, the cars can turn into pure death traps. Now road assistance crews are warning against just that.
Burnt-out electric cars can be death traps, and now roadside assistance workers warn of the great danger of handling them.
A hybrid car that had burned out for several days had to be salvaged recently in Borås, Sweden. Despite the fact that the fire was extinguished, there was still a risk that the car would spontaneously combust.
Similar cases have been reported, i.a. in Umeå, where an electric car caught fire several days after the fire had actually been extinguished.
– It would have been nice if an authority had intervened and said that it is a huge danger. If it ignites again, it happens so quickly that you can only yell and have to leave everything, says Richard Holtemark, who works with roadside assistance for Carup .
Electric cars that have caught fire can be particularly unpredictable. Holtemark and his colleagues have experienced several cases where apparently switched off electric cars suddenly catch fire again.
This especially applies to cars where the batteries have been exposed to water or high heat. Even when the battery looks broken, there may still be residual current that poses a risk.
– Even though they look completely burnt out and the battery is drained, there is still power left.
– We only have protective gloves, but not much more, and we haven't received any training on how to handle it, says Holtemark.
The roadside assistance people believe that the current system is not sufficient to deal with the problem. When the fire brigade leaves the scene after extinguishing the fire, the task of removing the car is left to roadside assistance. This poses considerable risk to those carrying out the work.
– It would be best if the emergency services had some resources to take care of burned-out electric cars.
– But when it comes to a burning electric car, they leave, and we are left with the remains, says Holtemark.
As electric cars and hybrid cars become more widespread, the number of incidents involving burned-out batteries is increasing.
According to the roadside assistance people, the responsibility for these vehicles should lie with the authorities or insurance companies. But there is resistance to raising the issue.
– Some insurance companies will not deal with the problem at all, even though it can be extremely expensive if something goes wrong," warns Holtemark.
The situation calls for action, as the risk of serious incidents will only increase if no one takes responsibility for handling burned electric cars.
It is not only the burning itself that is associated with large costs. It is also outrageously expensive to get a burned-out electric car off the road. At least if it has to be done properly. And so far no one wants to pay the bill. Not at home either. Read more about it here .
