Firefighters Embrace Innovation to Extinguish EV Fire Risks
Posted by BRUCE WISHART
Background An electric car fire burns differently from diesel or petrol car fires. What are the new risks, how are local fire departments being impacted, and what can they do to adapt? Around the world, fire departments are starting to respond to blazes that wonāt go out.Ā According to Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, 239 fires recorded in the UK from July 2022 to June 2023 were linked to electric vehicles (EVs). While this isnāt a high incident rate, itās a dangerous one: EVs are powered by lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. This makes them rechargeable and less environmentally harmful to run...
How an F1 team started the EV race with a transportable lithium-ion battery test laboratory
Posted by NATASHA SMITH
Background For Formula 1 (F1) motorsports companies, the race to electrification is on. In 2022, the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) approved the F1 2026 Power Unit Regulations, a core tenet of which specifies that vehicles must āincrease in the deployment of electrical power to up to 50% and utilise a 100% sustainable fuelā. WMSC has made its responsibilities clear; it now falls to motorsports companies to uphold theirs to comply with future F1 regulations.Ā Ā Electric vehicle (EV) battery testing is key for these companies to develop vehicles that comply with these regulations. But EV battery testing isnāt a...
From Pencil Sketch to Safety Pioneers: Bespoke EV Solutions for a Luxury Car Manufacturer
Posted by BRUCE WISHART
Background Car manufacturers around the world are investing billions of pounds in EV technologyās direction. Aware of the operational risks surrounding EV batteries, one luxury car manufacturer contacted us to find out how it could plot its own course to EV safely and securely without endangering its people, putting its assets at risk, or damaging its world-class reputation. Fire risk on the factory floor The manufacturerās specific concerns were around the dangers posed by the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which power EVs, during the manufacturing process. The company was manufacturing EVs from a new site and it had to be able...
A Solution for Every Battery: Emtez Secures a Leading European Car Manufacturerās EV Operations
Posted by BRUCE WISHART
Background Electric cars are cleaner to run and kinder to the environment than their petrol or diesel-powered counterparts, making them a research and development priority for car manufacturers the world over. But developing and testing electric vehicles (EVs) comes with new risks. This is because they are powered by lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which can catch fire or explode if they become compromised. Specialist solutions are required to minimise the operational risk associated with Li-ion batteries and enable safe EV production.Ā One European car manufacturer with a reputation for being at the forefront of the development of EVs recognised the limitations...
Driving Innovation: Cidaut and Emtez Collaborate to Enhance Electric Vehicle Crash Testing
Posted by NATASHA SMITH
Background As the Foundation for Transport and Energy Research and Development, Cidaut works closely with the automotive industry on new roads of research that redefine how todayās organisations power their vehicles. Spanning both the transport and energy sectors, electric vehicle (EV) technology is a key focus of this research, particularly where it crosses into accident studies and road safety. As part of a new line of research delving into the interaction of EVs and the environment, Cidaut contacted Emtez. Our knowledge of the risks surrounding EV batteries, combined with our manufacturing excellence, allowed us to offer the solutions that would...
EV Battery Transport Containers: Keeping Cidaut Safe Wherever Its Research Takes It
Posted by BRUCE WISHART
Background Spainās Foundation for Transport and Energy Research and Development, Cidaut, plays a key role in the countryās research into electric vehicle (EV) technology. Part of this research involves crash-testing EVs to understand the risks involved and the safety measures that must be put in place to ensure electric and hybrid cars are safe for the public to drive.But these tests come with their own risks. Notably, a compromised EV battery can catch fire or explode, putting the research team itself in danger every time a crash is simulated. Having previously worked with Emtez to develop specialist EV battery quarantine...