On Wednesday 16th February millions of pounds worth of luxury cars – including a number of electric vehicles (EVs) – went up in smoke when a fire broke out aboard the cargo ship the ‘Felicity Ace’ whilst she was sailing the Atlantic from Germany to the USA.
Whilst the cause of the fire is unknown, it is highly likely that the EVs were compromised during the incident since on-board fire suppression methods (sprinkler and CO2 gas systems) should have brought a conventional fire under control. With all 12 personnel evacuated from the ship this further highlights the notion that it was not possible to fight the fire using traditional means.
Each lithium-ion battery in an EV contains cells that deliver the energy the vehicle requires to function. If just one of those cells is damaged or defective, the cell can heat up extremely quickly and start a fire. Adjoining cells are then compromised and a domino effect is created which results in the fire spreading throughout the entire battery array. This phenomenon is called thermal runaway as, once it starts, it’s very difficult to stop.
In the event of an EV fire occurring, irrespective of location, the key strategy must be to deprive the fire of oxygen. As such, an EV car fire blanket is extremely useful in such a scenario.
Deploying an electric car fire blanket will immediately prevent oxygen from fuelling the fire. It will also inhibit the fire from spreading and facilitate a drop in temperature. This is vital since, unchecked, electric vehicle fires can reach temperatures exceeding 1,200°C.
Here at Prosol UK we are leading suppliers of EV safety equipment for technicians, workplaces and garages. We currently supply a large percentage of the franchised dealer network as well as independent businesses.
Over the last 18 months our R&D team has developed the Prosol Electric Vehicle Fire Blanket which is specifically designed to contain EV fires.
If you’d like to discuss how we can support with the implementation of the very highest levels of health & safety in relation to EVs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or call me on 0114 255 7700.
