Essay by Eric Worrall
What could possibly go wrong?
The new, unusual solution to EV fires: High-speed battery ejection
New technology has been demonstrated in China that sees an electric vehicle’s battery rapidly ejected to keep occupants safe from an imminent fire.
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At an event earlier this month, new technology was demonstrated on Chery’s iCar 03 that can see a vehicle’s high-voltage battery ejected 3-6 metres away within a second of thermal runaway being detected.
It’s ejected from the vehicle using a gas generator, much in the same way as an airbag works, with the idea to get the battery away from vehicle occupants before it catches fire.
In the demonstration video, shared across Chinese media including cnBeta, the battery is ejected with a bang into a nearby pit and then quickly shrouded.
However, there are naturally concerns over the high-speed ejection of a battery weighing potentially several hundred kilograms.
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Read more: https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/the-new-unusual-solution-to-ev-fires-high-speed-battery-ejection
My first thought was, surely this is a joke. But if it is a joke, someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make it look real.
MGUY has responded in his usual measured way to this latest EV safety innovation.
A burning EV battery is essentially a thermite bomb. Adding a gas catapult to the thermite bomb turns the vehicle battery into a short range thermite bomb launcher.
Would this EV innovation be legal in countries which restrict gun ownership? Imagine if Europe’s violent street gangs got their hands on such weapons.
To be fair the explosive battery ejector system likely does improve safety for the vehicle occupants. Probably not so much for any unlucky pedestrians walking past when the ejection system is triggered.
I’m kind of lost for words on this latest EV innovation. I mean I once thought of publishing this idea on WUWT as an April fools joke, but I decided not to, because I thought the idea was too stupid to trick anyone.
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