I like your comparison, Thomas of being able to "throw out the window" a small item, versus no way to handle a large item (like a 1000 lb battery). Scale does matter. I have one small safety idea: commercial buildings should have small freight elevators, like dumbwaiters, so people could send their cell phones and ipads and bike batteries, etc up in the dumbwaiter rather than being trapped in an elevator with them. That may sound like a joke, but I'm serious...and no parking EVs in the garage.
Another issue is related to the fumes that are released when a Lithium battery catches fire. Lithium is a neurotoxin on high doses and can cause serious health issues.
Serotonin syndrome is a condition that can be caused by exposure to Lithium fumes. This is a serious condition that can cause seizures, coma, and even (a very painful) death.
Can people escape in time from the fumes out of a long tunnel? I don't know. I don't think so.
Also, ICE fires are usually the result of incorrect maintainance or neglect and 9 times out of 10 are due to faulty fuel lines dropping fuel on the hot parts of the engine. They don't start in the fuel tank.
If you turn off the engine, the fuel pump will stop feeding it and thus in a lot of times you have some chance of containing it, especially if you have a fire extinguisher and act fast and decisively. If you have a fire in a battery pack, you can't do anything about it. You can't even open the hood to see what's going on. You can't even get close to it.
It’s time for all Li battery users to become keenly aware of the risk. From cell phones to vehicles and everything in between are potential hazards. The risk has been demonstrated to increase with the size of the battery. The refusal to admit and address the risk is astounding.
I like your comparison, Thomas of being able to "throw out the window" a small item, versus no way to handle a large item (like a 1000 lb battery). Scale does matter. I have one small safety idea: commercial buildings should have small freight elevators, like dumbwaiters, so people could send their cell phones and ipads and bike batteries, etc up in the dumbwaiter rather than being trapped in an elevator with them. That may sound like a joke, but I'm serious...and no parking EVs in the garage.
Another issue is related to the fumes that are released when a Lithium battery catches fire. Lithium is a neurotoxin on high doses and can cause serious health issues.
Serotonin syndrome is a condition that can be caused by exposure to Lithium fumes. This is a serious condition that can cause seizures, coma, and even (a very painful) death.
Can people escape in time from the fumes out of a long tunnel? I don't know. I don't think so.
Good point. Imagine being in a long tunnel when an Electric vehicle catches fire and all traffic is stopped...
Also, ICE fires are usually the result of incorrect maintainance or neglect and 9 times out of 10 are due to faulty fuel lines dropping fuel on the hot parts of the engine. They don't start in the fuel tank.
If you turn off the engine, the fuel pump will stop feeding it and thus in a lot of times you have some chance of containing it, especially if you have a fire extinguisher and act fast and decisively. If you have a fire in a battery pack, you can't do anything about it. You can't even open the hood to see what's going on. You can't even get close to it.
It’s time for all Li battery users to become keenly aware of the risk. From cell phones to vehicles and everything in between are potential hazards. The risk has been demonstrated to increase with the size of the battery. The refusal to admit and address the risk is astounding.