In the line of fire
04/20/2021
We can read reports of this kind in the media almost every day: A Tesla suddenly burned down in a parking garage in Shanghai. In May 2018, a Tesla Model S burned down completely in an accident in Switzerland, killing the driver. In the Netherlands, the fire department unceremoniously dumped a smoking BMW i8 into a plunge pool.
For years, cars rarely caught fire, except in racing. However, with all the electronics and electric cars, reports of vehicle fires have increased. Studies have shown that electric vehicles do not catch fire more frequently, but firefighters are faced with new challenges. Extinguishing lithium-ion batteries requires a lot more water, and chemical reactions take place that require a special cooling container for transportation. In addition, extinguishing water must be prevented from entering the sewage system.
Springer Professional reports on the fear of burning electric cars in underground car parks. Private and public operators of underground or multi-storey parking lots, which are now increasingly frequented by electric cars, are particularly interested in the answer. Some local authorities, such as the towns of Kulmbach and Leonberg, have banned electric and hybrid vehicles from underground or multi-storey parking lots due to a supposedly higher risk of fire. However, damage statistics have not yet confirmed the fear of an increased fire risk. The Head of Loss Prevention at the German Insurance Association (GDV), Alexander Küsel, explains: "Our statistics show no evidence that electric vehicles burn more frequently than cars with combustion engines". Safety in an underground car park depends on the quality of the fire protection and not on which cars are parked there, says Küsel.
Fires in entire warehouses or museums filled with collector's vehicles are of course extremely sad. No matter how the fire starts, if everything is reduced to rubble, cultural assets have been destroyed forever. In most cases, at least. Because as our article on the Audi quattro R3shows , a burnt-out car, where all that remains is a scaffolding in the shape of a rusty birdcage, can actually be brought back to life.
