Electric vehicle owners in Florida are now watching their vehicles for potential fires after the recent Hurricane Idalia brought them in contact with saltwater.
What Happened: The Palm Harbor fire department on Wednesday issued a warning to hybrid or electric vehicle owners to relocate their vehicles from their garage if they were in contact with saltwater after a Tesla Inc. TSLA car caught fire in Dunedin.
“Saltwater exposure can trigger combustion in lithium-ion batteries,” the department stated while urging people to transfer their vehicles to higher ground, if possible.
The warning didn’t pertain to merely electric cars but also golf carts and electric scooters. The department also warned individuals to not drive these vehicles through water.
When EV batteries are damaged by saltwater, a chemical reaction called thermal runaway occurs within the cells, causing them to heat up and making them prone to fires, Tampa fire rescue explained in a post.
Tesla Recommendations: Tesla itself recommends users to move their vehicle to a location not at risk or to higher ground if risks of submersion. In case of exposure, Tesla recommends users to treat their vehicle as though it has been in an accident and contact the insurance company. They further recommend users to not operate the vehicle until inspection.
“If you notice fire, smoke, audible popping/hissing or heating coming from your vehicle, step away and immediately contact your local first responders,” Tesla adds.
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