If you live on the coast where storm surges occur, then you should be aware of saltwater damage to electric vehicles. This is a far more serious matter than regular flooding, because saltwater conducts electricity, unlike fresh water. This is how fires may break out in flooded electric vehicles, long often after the storm surge has subsided.
Are Saltwater-Soaked Electric Vehicles Ticking Time Bombs?
Those are not our words. Xinyu Huang, associate professor at the University of South Carolina wrote them in the Flagler Live community newspaper. His specialism is mechanical engineering so he is a credible source.
Lithium-ion battery fires from burning electric vehicle battery packs are extremely hot, and difficult to extinguish. Quite often, Xinyu Huang adds, the only option is to let them burn out.
Under normal circumstances the risk of this thermal runaway occurring is extremely low, perhaps one in a million. However, if a battery suffers electrical, thermal or mechanical stress, then the possibilities of runaway are significantly higher.
The Risk of Saltwater Intrusion Is There, However Slight
Electrical vehicle battery pack casings use gaskets to seal them. While these may have high safety ratings, this is no guarantee there will never be saltwater damage to electric vehicle batteries.
Battery casings also have several ports to equalize pressure, and allow electric cables for charging and discharging. If saltwater does find a way past these openings, then Xinyu Huang says it will be a thousand times more electrically conductive that fresh water.
A short-circuit may occur between the battery terminals, rapidly discharging the battery and causing it to overheat. This is how a fire may break out, days or even weeks after saltwater penetrates a lithium-ion electric car battery.
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Saltwater and Electric Vehicle Battery Damage
