Officials Warn Submerged Electric Cars Can Ignite

The Associated Press reports:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged EV owners this week to get their vehicles to higher ground before Hurricane Helene arrived. Although the problem is rare, there have been a number of instances in recent years of electric vehicles igniting after hurricanes.

Keeping electric vehicles out of standing water is the best way to avoid the possibility of a fire. Saltwater is to blame. Two years ago, Hurricane Ian compromised the batteries of as may as 5,000 electric vehicles, and 36 of them caught fire.

Tesla offers similar advice about avoiding letting its vehicles become submerged if at all possible, but if that does happen the carmaker suggests towing the vehicle at least 50 feet away from structures or anything combustible until it can be inspected by a mechanic.

Read the full article. I don’t know if the car in the screencap above is electric or if it’s in saltwater, but you get the idea.

Officials warn of EV fires in Hurricane Helene’s wake

Reporting by @APhttps://t.co/vzGk667L5I#FlaPol

— Florida Politics (@Fla_Pol) September 28, 2024