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Are Electric Cars An Explosion Risk?
Investor's Business Daily ^ | Nobember 15, 2011 | IBD staff

Posted on 11/23/2011 5:39:27 PM PST by raptor22

Environmental Impacts: An investigation is launched into the possibility of battery fires occurring in crashes involving Government Motors' touted electric car. Industrial policy meets the law of unintended consequences.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced an investigation into the safety of electric cars using lithium batteries, particularly the Chevy Volt, after a battery fire occurred after a side-impact crash test.

It has asked other manufacturers who make electric cars or that plan to do so for information on how they handle lithium-ion batteries. The request also includes recommendations for minimizing fire risk. The feds say this is only precautionary and there is no indication of widespread risk. GM insists the Volt is safe.

The fire didn't break out in the test vehicle until three weeks after the crash. GM says there have been no reports from consumers of battery problems, and the feds say they've been unable to duplicate the fire problem.

But the cumulative road experience of the brand-new and poorly selling vehicle has been limited.

The Volt fire was severe enough to burn vehicles parked nearby. In the crash test, metal punctured the battery.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial
KEYWORDS: chevyvolt; electriccars; electricedsel; gm; governmentmotors; greenenergy; highwaysafety; ibd; ibdchevyvolt; industrialpolicy; nhtsa; obamacar; voltfire; voltfires; voltfraud
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1 posted on 11/23/2011 5:39:31 PM PST by raptor22
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To: raptor22

After that Volt caught on fire weeks after an accident, there is no way in hell I would sleep over one in an attached garage.


2 posted on 11/23/2011 5:42:13 PM PST by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: raptor22

yes (IMHO)


3 posted on 11/23/2011 5:42:44 PM PST by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: raptor22

This is great: We’ve recreated the Pinto in an all electric model!


4 posted on 11/23/2011 5:42:57 PM PST by RobertClark ("Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: raptor22

my firefighter relative told me about this several years ago. He said no way would he own one or ride in one.


5 posted on 11/23/2011 5:44:29 PM PST by bella1 (As it was in the days of Lot....)
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To: raptor22
Are Electric Cars An Explosion Risk?

They are if they're parked in my driveway.
6 posted on 11/23/2011 5:47:56 PM PST by cripplecreek (Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)
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To: raptor22

When I was seventeen I saw a Volvo ignite and an infant in the back go up with it. Everyone did everything humanly possible to save the child, but that car went up very quickly after being rear-ended.

After using gasoline for the last 80 plus years across the U.S., it’s rather strange to all of a sudden start acting like electric cars are a real threat.

It would seem some policy of disconnecting and staging the batter pack would be a good idea. In time that’s probably what they’ll wind up doing.


7 posted on 11/23/2011 5:49:43 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Obyema 2012 - he has addition deficit disorder... (not my line, but a great one to repeat))
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To: DoughtyOne

People best be careful if they work on them also. There’s a lot of juice flowing through those things.


8 posted on 11/23/2011 5:54:23 PM PST by RC2
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To: raptor22

Every accident I’ve seen involving a Prius (I’ve seen my share, I live in Boulder), they clear the area and call the hazmat team.

Really screws up traffic, worst than the accident.


9 posted on 11/23/2011 5:55:11 PM PST by JMJJR ( Newspeak is the official language of Oceania)
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To: RC2

Yes, that makes sense. I agree with your caution, with regard to those battery packs. There may also be residual charges in systems remote from the pack. That would concern me also.


10 posted on 11/23/2011 5:57:32 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Obyema 2012 - he has addition deficit disorder... (not my line, but a great one to repeat))
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To: raptor22

What risk do these vehicles pose to First responders, and tow operators.

One of the first thing done by fire units on the scene of an accident is to disconnect the battery. This is a big battery, what dangers does it pose to Firefighters and tow operators who will have to disconnect it?

Have the Manufacturers done anything to instruct responding personnel?


11 posted on 11/23/2011 5:57:53 PM PST by Venturer
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To: raptor22

Li-Ion laptop battery explosion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjAtBiTSsKY

If this can happen to a laptop think of how large an explosion can occur with a car!


12 posted on 11/23/2011 5:59:52 PM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: raptor22

Li-Ion laptop battery explosion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjAtBiTSsKY

If this can happen to a laptop think of how large an explosion can occur with a car!


13 posted on 11/23/2011 6:00:10 PM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Holy moly! That is one scary video. That battery reacts much like thermite.


14 posted on 11/23/2011 6:10:27 PM PST by 6SJ7 (Meh.)
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To: Nachum; markomalley; Clairity; Carlucci; grey_whiskers; meyer; WL-law; Para-Ord.45; ...

Ping


15 posted on 11/23/2011 6:10:33 PM PST by raptor22 (Join me on Twitter @gerfingerpoken)
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To: raptor22
Back when I was in the Army 20 years ago, I had a devil of a time getting lithium batteries shipped on aircraft. The Air Force was rather sensitive about the subject.

I call that a hint...

16 posted on 11/23/2011 6:19:46 PM PST by Lysandru
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To: 6SJ7

Think ‘carbecue’! What’s really funny is wait until those environutty Leftists find out how much it costs to replace the battery! One way or another they are getting burned! LOL!


17 posted on 11/23/2011 6:31:22 PM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: raptor22

I would encourage all Progressives & Democrats to purchase Government Motors Volts. I have been informed by many of them that they and their kind are invincible to those things that scare us common people. This could be related to the turkey fryer story ....


18 posted on 11/23/2011 6:34:16 PM PST by RetiredTexasVet (There's a pill for just about everything ... except stupid!)
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To: raptor22
max current to max smoke in a heartbeat...
19 posted on 11/23/2011 6:50:35 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Red Badger

Ping.


20 posted on 11/23/2011 6:59:42 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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