Most people seem to be aware that electric vehicle (EV) batteries (including for E-Bikes) have been catching fire
and exploding –
sometimes while being charged – and that there have been numerous recalls to address this issue. In fact, last month the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it had started investigating safety defects in EV batteries. Of course other health and safety issues have been associated with EVs too. As if the fires aren’t bad enough!
Electric vehicle (EV) charging has caused several house fires and resulted in massive losses, with three such fires being recorded in the states of Virginia and Maryland.
A March 31 house fire
in Damascus, Maryland caused by a charging EV resulted in $350,000
worth of damages. It also displaced four people and a few pets the
individuals owned. One person in the house had to be rescued, but no
injuries were reported.
Pete Piringer, spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
Service (MCFRS), said the fire started in the house’s garage near the
front end of a Chevrolet Volt that was charging. The hybrid vehicle runs
primarily on an electric battery that needs charging. When the battery
uses up energy to a certain point, its gasoline-powered engine operates
an electric generator to extend its range.
On April 5, another fire broke out
at an apartment located in the city of Bethesda in Maryland. The blaze
caused by a charging scooter displaced three people and resulted in
about $150,000 worth of damages. One resident suffered minor burns.
According to Piringer, MCFRS firefighters responded to the scene
after they saw smoke coming out of a unit on the third floor. They
managed to extinguish the blaze almost half an hour later. Piringer
added that a lithium battery inside an electric scooter that overheated
caused the conflagration.
Almost two weeks later, a garage at a home in Ashburn, Virginia caught fire on April 18.
Firefighters from the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue responded to a 911
call for smoke visible from the garage. The owner and other individuals
in the house managed to escape the blaze that caused $15,400 in
damages....<<<Read More>>>...
