The French automaker's solution to extinguish fires reduces the time and water consumption required, and it's now accessible to all vehicle manufacturers.
- Renault has developed a method to swiftly and effectively extinguish fires in electric vehicles, enabling firefighters to tackle blazes more efficiently.
- Electric vehicle fires are less common than those involving internal combustion engine vehicles, but when they do occur, it's challenging to extinguish them.
- The French automaker has made its electric vehicle fire safety technology freely available in order to promote wider adoption and enhance overall safety.
A new system called the “Fireman Access” system has been introduced, which is intended to extinguish fires more efficiently and rapidly.
The French automaker has introduced a technology that enables first responders to extinguish fires in electric vehicles with approximately the same speed as those in combustion engine vehicles. This innovation involves an adhesive disc located within the high-voltage battery pack, situated above an opening. In the event of a battery fire, water pressure from an external hose dislodges the disc, which then floods the pack, rapidly cooling all cells simultaneously.
This method is said to be an effective way of preventing thermal runaway, a phenomenon where battery cells catch fire and burn uncontrollably for hours. The system is already being used in new fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold globally by Renault, Dacia, and Mobilize, a brand under Renault which specializes in quadricycles. The tech is now also available to other automakers due to Renault's open licensing policy.
Studies have demonstrated that electric vehicle (EV) fires are statistically less common than those involving internal combustion engine cars. However, in the rare instances when EV batteries do catch fire, the resulting blaze can be particularly challenging to extinguish, often taking hours to put out.
There is a layer that prevents fires entirely.
All new electric vehicles come equipped with advanced and intricate cooling and thermal management systems to maintain a stable environment. However, further enhancing fire prevention and suppression technology is still essential, not only to increase the safety of electric vehicles, but also to enhance consumer trust in this relatively new technology.
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