Posted on 07/17/2022 7:15:10 AM PDT by karpov
Sean Nemeth, the owner of a plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica, was perplexed when earlier this year he received a rather surprising recall notice, advising him to park his vehicle outside and away from structures.
The notice informed him that his particular model is at risk of catching fire—even while stationary and turned off—and the cause is still unknown.
“What am I supposed to do with it then?” said Mr. Nemeth, recalling his reaction at the time. He eventually decided to park it across the street from his house in a low-traffic cul-de-sac.
His predicament has become more commonplace in recent years with the expansion of electric-vehicle sales and more car companies confronting incidents of parked cars suddenly bursting into flames, including those involving more-traditional gas-engine models such as the Ford Expedition.
As a precaution, auto makers are issuing “park outside” orders that instruct drivers to park in the open air and away from houses and structures that could be potentially damaged if a fire were to occur. In many cases, the remedy isn’t immediately available, leaving drivers to figure out what to do with the vehicle in the interim—sometimes for months.
At least 31 recall campaigns covering 3.3 million vehicles have been launched with park-outside orders in the past decade, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The majority of those—18 campaigns, or about 60%—occurred within the past two years, NHTSA’s data show.
“It’s unusual to see several ‘park outside’ recalls in a row,” said William Wallace, associate director of safety policy at the nonprofit advocacy organization Consumer Reports. “But if there’s a fire risk, this is exactly the kind of guidance that people should get until a fix is available.”
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Hopefully Stabenows electric car lights up.
.... parked cars suddenly bursting into flames, including those involving more-traditional gas-engine models such as the Ford Expedition.
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Anyone know the percentage of traditional cars bursting into flames? I smell an effort to try to spread the blame.
True for cars & everything else, my man.
> advising him to park his vehicle outside and away from structures <
Bad news for car owners, but good news for car thieves.
Side note to car thieves: After you take an EV, remember to park your new vehicle outside and away from structures. Safety first, guys.
Try imagining driving a two year old EV or even a hybrid in a snow or rain storm, then park it in an attached garage to your home, and recharge it while your family sleeps. Wonder how many cracks or seams develop in those battery casings over time. All that charging and discharging has to generate heat and electromagnetic forces that must put a strain on the casing that keeps water away from the battery.
I remember reading about lithium batteries having microcracks that cause electrical shorts, resulting in bursts of flames.
I image every pothole and vibration in EV only makes this even more likely.
Biden Administration Response: Parking outside is better as it lets criminals know that people are likely present in the house, thereby helping to prevent crime in our new era of defunded police and Soros judges.
Politicians should be forced to buy/use electric conveyances and cannot use any gas/diesel powered conveyance.
“Anyone know the percentage of traditional cars bursting into flames? I smell an effort to try to spread the blame.”
Same here, particularly after they’re parked and shutdown.
A lot of insurance companies will charge a higher premium if a car is parked on the street.
I read years ago that at the point of cranking (whether you're in the car or doing it remotely so the car will heat up/cool down), ICE cars are more liable to catch on fire as opposed to EV's not really cranking when they "start up". But EV's are more liable to catch on fire just from sitting still while charging, as opposed to ICE cars not needing charging. Plug-in hybrids are the worst of both worlds.
But that was years ago. I don't know what the recent numbers look like. Ostensibly both ICE cars and EV's have improved on that. For example, my 2022 EV has automatic cooling for the battery to allow it to charge longer before it gets hot, and even with that it has automatic shutoff for charging if the battery still gets hot. I don't know the numbers on EV's catching fire while charging after those protections were put in. It's kind of like ICE cars with fuel injectors don't catch fire nearly as often as ICE cars did with carburetors when I was young.
“Try imagining driving a two year old EV or even a hybrid...”
For EVs you’re right, they’re always lithium batteries. For hybrids, it depends, plug-in hybrids (at least with the Prius) also use hybrids, but non-plug-ins use non-lithium batteries, so they’re safe.
Motorweek this week has a segment on $2B going to grants for communities to buy electrified school buses. In the front of the ceremony of the first bus received, was an NPC woman with a sign showing she cares about children getting sick from Diesel exhaust.
When one of these 10,0000 planned school buses catch fire and 40 kids are permanently damaged from the toxic fumes, what is this women going to say to their parents?
COVID did one thing positive. I put off our country from being flooded with *cheap” Chinese electric cars by 4 years. Chrysler Pacifica’s are models in safety and high build quality in comparison.
Here in Texas the power companies are telling people not to charge their EV’s during peak usage. Puts a great strain on the grid.
The EV’s are catching fire even when they’re not charging. Very difficult to put the fires out.
EV Fairies will flit in shortly to call you a lying dog-face pony soldier.
All EV’s use Li Ion batteries, now, even the lightest of Hybrids.
Fiat had wiring harness problems 50 years ago, Fiat invented spontaneous combustion.
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