The toxic metal batteries powering so-called “electric vehicles” are turning these cars into deadly battering rams, and they become toxic waste-spewing bombs that threaten police and firefighters at accident scenes, a United States Senate hearing reveals.
At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) “questioned National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy about the dangers of electric vehicles (EVs), including the safety risks they pose to first responders and the driving public,” Fischer's office reports.
“During the hearing, Senator Fischer discussed the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's first-of-its-kind crash test of an EV pickup truck to better understand whether currently used guardrails are prepared for the growing number of EVs,” the statement adds.
A transcript of the hearing reads:
Senator Fischer: Last year, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus conducted a first-of-its kind crash test of an electric pickup truck to study whether current highway guardrails adequately protect against the growing number of those heavier EVs that are on our roads. At 60 miles per hour, the 7,000 lb. electric truck tore through the barrier without offering any protection to the traveling public or reduction in speed.
I've recently heard from first responders that are also concerned about responding to electric vehicle fires. 40% of firefighters have never had EV fire safety training. And I've heard of instances of more water needed to extinguish vehicle batteries and the increase in those toxic gases from the lithium batteries. What has NTSB found in its investigations on the EV crashes that are unique compared to the internal combustion engines? Have you begun to condense that data so it can educate us on what's happening here?
Chair Homendy: Yes, just a few years ago, we issued a report on the risks of lithium-ion battery fires and electric vehicles to first responders and to second responders. And we defined second responders in the report as tow truck operators. We had done a number of investigations where there were significant risks to the first responders in terms of stranded energy in the vehicle and in the battery and its components itself, the amount of work it took to extinguish the fires, and the potential for shock to emergency responders themselves.
In fact, we did an investigation in Mountain View, California, where the first responders had to reach out to the auto manufacturer to ask them to come to the scene of the crash. They were lucky they were three miles away. But, if you think about volunteer firefighters who may be in a rural area, that's not something that's readily — their ability to get people on scene. In this particular one, we saw reignition several times of the electric vehicle. And we have with others: not just on the scene, but also on the tow truck and up to five days later in the tow yard itself.
So, they are a significant risk in terms of battery fire. There are significant risks for emergency responders. And, while we have not done an investigation involving electric vehicles and the wait, I have raised a red flag numerous times to say it is an impact on safety.
You mentioned the excellent work that was done by the University of Nebraska. Our guard rails, crash attenuators, they are rated up to 5,000 lbs. Many of these vehicles go up to 10,000lbs. One vehicle, the lithium-ion battery alone weighs the same weight as a Honda Civic: 3,000lbs. So, that has an impact on safety; not just on infrastructure, making sure that people in the vehicles are safe after there is a crash, vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle to those outside of the vehicle. And as I said, vehicle to infrastructure. It's going to have a significant impact on safety.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
