E-cars prohibited! The first city is blocked for underground car park for electric cars – fire danger

Deleting battery fires

E -cars are prohibited: The first city is locked under car park for electric cars – fire risk!

Site/Wochit Electric car connected to the charging station – hours later it burns lights

• Site editor Sebastian Viehmann

• Site author Teresa Cilwa

When electrical and hybrid cars burn, they are difficult to delete. In Kulmbach and Leonberg it is therefore said for Stromer: We have to stay outside. Experts recommend special extinguishing systems for underground garages. The ADAC considers the problem not serious.

Teslas have to stay outside- and not only that: Electrical and plug-in hybrid cars will no longer be allowed to park in an underground car park in Kulmbach in Upper Franconia in the future. This was decided in consultation with the fire brigade for the underground car park under EKU Platz, like the Infrank portal.de first reported. The background is that there was a fire in the underground car park a few months ago. At that time a petrol vehicle and no electric car burned.

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However, in the event of a burning electric car, it would not be possible to delete the fire promptly. For a certain time a reinforced concrete floor can withstand heat, but if too much heat acts, the concrete bursts and the iron would melt. Then there was a risk of collapse. At least that’s the reason for the city for the unusual step. So far, there have been such prohibitions in Germany only occasionally for vehicles with gas drive, i.e. earth or LPG cars.

City fears effects in electrical fires

The underground car park was closed for around five months. The cost of the renovation was just under 200.000 euros. When asked by Site, the city stated that "The security is simply in the foreground". Likewise, it is currently being discussed to expand this ban on other city parking garages. To do this, the fire brigade must discuss whether it is technically possible in the event of a fire to get the vehicle out of the parking garage with heavy equipment. Maybe it could be that electric and hybrid vehicles should only park on the ground floor of the parking garage.

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Makes the example of school?

The topic has apparently already drawn more circles. According to the city of Kulmbach, other cities are considering pronouncing such bans. In fact, according to the city of Leonberg in Baden-Wurttemberg, the city’s website also applies to the old town garage with its 283 places: "For fire protection law reasons, the access to the old town car park for electric and hybrid vehicles is currently not permitted."

ADAC: closure "endangered electromobility"

The ADAC cannot understand the decision of the city of Kulmbach. ADAC spokesman Andreas HOlzel said to Site: "If other garage operators follow the Kulmbacher example, this would be a fatal setback in expanding electrical mobility in Germany. In principle, it can never be completely excluded that a vehicle ignites itself due to a defect – but this applies to all drive types. There is no evidence that electric cars with or without an accident tend to burn to burn than cars with an incinerated engine. According to fire brigades and insurers, there are also no significant differences in terms of risk assessment. Concerns regarding special risks when loading an electric car are also unfounded in an underground car park, provided that the electrical installation of the loading points has been professionally installed and serviced."

dpa/Amstein+ Walthert Progress AG/EMPA/dpa A battery module of an electric car develops large amounts of soot in the fire in which there are toxic metal oxides.

The city of Kulmbach is aware that drivers could possibly feel disadvantaged by electric cars, it is said when asked. However, the safety of the citizens must be in the foreground. More preventative educational work on the part of the vehicle manufacturers regarding this fire danger would be desirable, said a spokesman for the city.

Battery fires on electric cars: not more often, but more serious

Experts argue about how big the fire risk of the electricity is actually. Among other things, Tesla always claims that their cars would burn much less often than gasoline vehicles. Some studies confirm this. Others, on the other hand, do not, such as the IIHS report of the US insurers via vehicles from the model year 2016 to 2018. In relation to the registration figures, it became apparent: The Elektro-SUV Tesla Model X burned much more frequently than a Porsche Cayenne, The fire risk after Jeep Renegade was the number two of the risk list. The Limousine Tesla Model S is worse than a Mercedes E-Class.Insurance experts from the Alliance point out that the fire risk always correlates with age and therefore there would be no meaningful data in the still young electric cars. Therefore, they assume that the risk will adapt to that of hybrids and petrol or diesel cars over time.

Stromer and hybrid: There are still teething problems

In view of the rapidly growing but still manageable share of electrical and hybrid cars on German roads towards childhood diseases of technology. A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Transport told Site: "Since the beginning of 2018, there have been 20 recalls in the area of responsibility of the KBA in connection with the Hochvoltakku, or. the high -voltage system (cable, charging electronics etc.) stand." Not always, but often it is literally about fire -dangerous defects. Some examples of recalls or incidents of the past few months:

• VW: In addition to recalls at the VW e-up, however, only a few vehicles were affected, the brand new plug-in hybrid of the Golf 8 only made headlines a few days ago. During the trip, the battery apparently caught fire in a place in Hesse. The Lithuim-ion battery of the Golf Plug is located in front of the rear axle under the back seat. The regional newspaper HNA reports: "The Golf was on fire within a few seconds. The two occupants could just save themselves outdoors. Local residents who had become aware of the explosion on the vehicle fire due to the bang of the explosion immediately alerted the fire brigade." The car had only 300 kilometers on the speedometer. At Site’s request, Volkswagen spokesman Stefan Voswinkel said about the case: "In order to be able to guarantee the high standard of our vehicles, we analyze the closer circumstances and the technical background of a case in which a Golf 8 should have occurred, according to the media report. On the basis of the test results, we will initiate appropriate measures if necessary."
• ford: Calls were pronounced several times this year for the Ford Kuga. Affected: almost 33.000 vehicles worldwide. Ford finally had to impose a sales stop for the car. Cause: Fire risk when charging.
• General Motors: In mid -November, 66 were worldwide.Called back 000 of the type Chevrolet Bolt and warned before charging. The German sister model Opel Ampera-e is also affected. Cause of the recall: fireglefahr.
• Audi: With the model "E-tron" there was already recall in 2019, shortly after delivery of the car. The trigger is a possibly incorrect seal through which moisture could get into the battery system – short -circuit and fire risk here too. A few months ago, a young woman burned in an electric audi after an accident, but it is still unclear what exactly the cause of the fire was; It should have nothing to do with the recall.
• BMW: Because of technical problems, the Munich team had to call back thousands of plug-in hybrids. Cause: fire risk.
• Tesla: After several fatal fire accidents and individual cases of self-inflammation of the batteries, the Americans adapted the software of the Model S in parked cars. This also had an impact on performance and range. Tesla does not consider it necessary to replace the batteries itself.
• Street scooter: According to Site, the post office has various problems with the technology of the e-transporter, which also led to recalls.

In addition, there are always reports on house fires that are triggered by electric or hybrid vehicles during the loading.

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Experts disagree with fire risk

Battery and unfalled experts consider modern electricity with lithium-ion batteries as safe. This is how AXA insurance sees No greater risk when it comes to fire risk. But if it comes to the fire, it runs more dramatic. "E-cars do not burn more often than other vehicles, but when a battery ignites, it burns very quickly and can hardly be deleted anymore", says accident researcher Bettina Zahnd. In such a case, it is only a matter of freeing the occupants out of the car as quickly as possible and bringing them to a safe distance in order to protect them from burns and toxic vapors.

Screenshot YouTube / RTV6 Tesla crash in Indianapolis: A Youtube video shows the fire drama. Two people died

Fire brigade must take special measures

A feared sequence of accident in electric cars is the so-called "Thermal Runaway": an electrical short circuit in a lithium-ion battery by defect or mechanical damage can trigger a fire. The danger is not the individual cell, but a chain reaction in which the liquid electrolyte ignites and the fire spreads rapidly to other cells. Battery experts refer to this as "thermal through" or thermal Runaway.

Private In a patent from 2010, Tesla describes the dangers of one "Thermal Runaway", a thermal passage of lithium-ion batteries

For the fire brigade, fires of electric vehicles are extremely difficult to extinguish. Enormous amounts of water are required. And not just for the initial. After suffocating the flames, even hours after the accident, fires can flare up again and again. Probably only a radical solution helps the rescue workers, as demonstrated in the Netherlands and has already been used in Germany in Germany: After a crash or other incidents.

Daniel Knopp/dpa Electro -post car burned out in Herne – explode batteries

Underground garages and tunnel fires

In the case of technical defects – which do not always have to be in the battery, but also in simple short circuits or problems with the power line in the house – above all closed rooms such as underground garages or tunnels, which have not yet been known from petrol engines.

Volkswagen Technical details about electric cars and plug-in hybrids. The batteries are controlled with temperature management, with hybrid batteries exposed to higher thermal loads. Various security systems are supposed to prevent fire incidents

A study by the Swiss Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication Uvek, which Site is present and appeared in summer 2018, describes the possible risks: "Because of the reactive and sometimes highly toxic materials, chemical dangers. Due to limited ventilation options in the air, the released pollutants can concentrate and exceed critical threshold values faster than outdoors for humans, where the flue gas is rather diluted. The spaces that are often not optimal in such rooms make the situation more difficult and contribute to the special danger", it says in the study.

Special extinguishing systems for underground garages

The Swiss fire experts also emphasize that, according to previous knowledge, there is no increased fire risk compared to other types of drive, according to previous knowledge. The suggestion: to prevent fires in tunnels or garages, Could be installed extinguishing systems; In addition, measuring devices that detect gases or gas mixtures before the development of a fire and activate the extinguishing systems.

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