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Canal Motor
Lunes, 30 de diciembre 2024, 12:10
In the early hours of Monday, up to ten units of the Madrid City Council Fire Department extinguished a fire in an electric vehicle parked in a public parking lot at Plaza de Colón.
This incident has sparked significant controversy between electric vehicle advocates and critics who highlight the dangers these vehicles pose in the event of a fire.
However, the main conclusions of the report prepared by AEDIVE (Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Mobility in Spain and Portugal), in collaboration with specialized companies and institutions, indicate that beyond misinformation and myths, electric vehicle batteries cause far fewer fires than combustion vehicles.
This technical document provides data showing that electric vehicles, equipped with advanced safety systems, actually present a lower fire risk than internal combustion vehicles. Moreover, current statistics from countries with high electric vehicle penetration reflect that the likelihood of an electric vehicle catching fire is lower than that of a combustion vehicle - relative to the total number of vehicles.
The report clarifies that while lithium-ion batteries can present fire risks, these can be eliminated or controlled through proper design, the implementation of advanced monitoring systems, and the adoption of rigorous safety measures.
In a lithium battery, due to its physical-chemical configuration, exothermic reactions occur during operation. Installers and integrators of battery-equipped equipment must understand the associated risks and work with technologists to understand the particularities of each battery in terms of risk control.
The intrinsic safety of the battery is related to the safety of the cells that compose it. "The concept of safety must be incorporated from the start: in engineering, design, and manufacturing, including necessary controls throughout the process," the report states.
According to AEDIVE, it is crucial to certify materials and tests on the cells and comply with all quality controls to avoid failures. Additionally, one of the objectives in the battery design phase focuses on monitoring systems for the correct early detection of any incident, thus facilitating action.
Technologies such as real-time monitoring and management of battery cell operating data, intelligent prediction of potential cell failures, and prior warning of possible incidents based mainly on temperature monitoring are used.
Thus, sampling, management, and data processing techniques are used. Additionally, the system uses the "sampling fault" detection algorithm to identify potential failures of the control system itself (BMS board, sensors, communications...), acting accordingly.
In a battery, the origin of a fire and/or thermal runaway is located in a specific cell. From this start, the risk is that the fire spreads to the cell pack and subsequently to adjacent packs, forming a chain reaction, potentially leading to "thermal runaway." The risk can be minimized if the spread is quickly cut off. Therefore, battery design includes isolation systems in different parts, controlling the risk of spread.
AEDIVE provides all the answers. "In reality, all vehicles, including electric ones, have a Rescue Sheet for emergency services, which, in the case of electric vehicles, informs where to disconnect the battery, where high-voltage equipment may be, how to approach the vehicle considering the battery layout, among other elements."
The rescue sheet is a document that includes all the technical information necessary to open a vehicle quickly and safely. It has a standard format, valid throughout Europe. Why is it useful? Because if it is accessible within the vehicle, any rescue team can have it immediately upon arrival at the accident, understand it, and use it to ensure the rescue process is as quick and safe as possible.
If the fire occurs inside the vehicle, the danger is greater, as the seats and roof are made of highly flammable materials and can generate toxic smoke. After turning off the car's ignition, the best course of action in this case (if a fire extinguisher is not available) is to close the doors and windows to prevent oxygen from entering, thus allowing the flames to extinguish more quickly.
The AEDIVE guide has been developed with the collaboration and participation of prestigious companies from the entire electric mobility ecosystem: Huawei, Iberdrola, Naturgy, Mutua Madrileña, Cesvimap, Wenea, and the Jovellanos Centre, a training centre of the Maritime Rescue and Safety Society (an entity of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility).
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