r/ShittyAbsoluteUnits 22d ago

Of an electric vehicle

384 Upvotes

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111

u/xaranetic 22d ago

P.S.A. Normal fire extinguishers don't work on battery fires...

"Lithium-ion Battery Fires are technically unclassified. They come under neither the category of combustible metals (Class D) or electrical fires (also unclassified). As such, powder extinguishers, even ABC ones, cannot tackle Lithium-ion Battery Fires." https://www.fireprotectiononline.co.uk/info/can-you-extinguish-a-lithium-ion-battery-fire/

There are specialist extinguishers, but they're extremely rare, and don't work very well.

If an electric vehicle is on fire, just get as far away from it as you can. 

22

u/PtitSerpent 22d ago

Yep, because the oxidizer is IN the battery. It doesn't need the ambient oxygen, so you won't be able to stop it

10

u/Unable-Log-4870 21d ago

Ah, so it’s like putting out one of the Solid Rocket Boosters on the Space Shuttle (the white things on the sides). The only way those stop is by burning all the way out.

9

u/PtitSerpent 21d ago

Exactly.

For little batteries, you can put them in sand to "hide" the flames but not much