Electric vehicle owners have been warned that saltwater could cause their cars to catch fire after a Tesla inundated with floodwater went up in flames.
An alarming video posted to Facebook by the Pinellas County Government in Florida shows the EV trapped in a garage with a flood caused by Hurricane Helene seeping in.
The Tesla catches fire quickly as sparks turn into bright flames spreading from underneath the car and up the doors and windows.
Officials then asked Pinellas County residents to let them know if they have left behind an EV or golf cart after evacuating due to the storm.
Residents were also advised not to charge, drive, or store their EVs in their homes or garages. Instead, they should be moved 50 feet away from any combustible materials and towed to a dealership for inspection.
Electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if the batteries short circuit and start to heat up.
Tom Barth with the National Transportation Safety Board said that if the heat starts to spread between different cells in the battery back it can cause a chain reaction called thermal runaway.
“If the saltwater is able to bridge the gap between the positive and negative terminals of battery, then it can cause a short circuit,” said Barth, who is chief of the special investigations branch of the NTSB’s office of highway safety.
Carmakers do design their batteries to try to prevent this problem. There are often separations or insulation barriers between different cells in the battery pack, and manufacturers take steps to keep moisture out.
But they do have to include ways for the batteries to vent heat. “Where it begins to be a problem is if you have the batteries submerged in standing water. That’s where it starts to overcome the moisture seals in the battery,” Barth said, as reported by AP.
Sometimes electric vehicles can catch fire long after the floodwaters have receded because even after the water evaporates salt that can conduct electricity may be left behind. So it’s important to have them checked out if they are submerged.
“It’s not like every vehicle that gets flooded is therefore going to ignite and catch fire,” Barth said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is working to improve battery safety as officials learn more about the problems. The agency has proposed updating some of the safety requirements for electric vehicle batteries to reduce the risks.
