Electric vehicle owners face unique threat as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida

Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm Monday and showed no signs of slowing down as it continued to barrel towards the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Residents have already begun to take the usual, necessary precautions to preserve both life and property. However, this time, those who own electric vehicles are being asked to take extra precaution after video of a Tesla catching fire during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene went viral.

Prior to Hurricane Helene’s landfall, Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned EV owners about getting their vehicles to higher ground otherwise they could unintentionally start a fire. Now, as Hurricane Milton makes its way towards Florida, EV owners are once again being asked to move their vehicles from any low-lying areas.

The problem occurs when EVs become submerged in saltwater. Although their lithium-ion batteries are sealed to prevent moisture from getting inside, it’s possible for those seals to fail, especially if they have been submerged in saltwater.

“If the saltwater is able to bridge the gap between the positive and negative terminals of battery, then it can cause a short circuit,” Tom Barth with the National Transportation Safety Board told the Associated Press.

“Where it begins to be a problem is if you have the batteries submerged in standing water. That’s where it starts to overcome the moisture seals in the battery.”

It’s possible for vehicles to catch fire even after they have been removed from the water as any salt left behind may still conduct electricity.

EVs catching fire post-tropical storms have only recently caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA first began researching the issue in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast. In 2022, Hurricane Ian reportedly damaged the batteries of 5,000 EVs, and 36 of them caught fire.

Most recently, several more vehicles caught fire in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia and Hurricane Helene.

Tesla recommends its customers not attempt to operate their vehicle if its been submerged.

Instead, they suggest safely towing or moving the vehicle at least 50 feet away from any buildings or combustible materials.

It’s not just electric vehicles that pose a fire risk. Anything that uses a lithium-ion battery has the potential to catch fire.

E-bikes, scooters, some power tools, personal electronics, solar energy storage, and golf carts all utilize lithium-ion batteries and run the same risk of catching fire.

After seeing an “expansion of fires that were EV related,” the city of Tampa is opening parking garages for anyone in low-lying areas who want to store their vehicles for the duration of the storm. Parking will be free.

St. Petersburg will also offer free parking to its residents.

“No road vehicle should be considered roadworthy after saltwater flooding, whether it’s an EV or anything else,” Haresh Kamath, director of distributed energy resources at the Electric Power Research Institute, told USA Today in 2022.

Please share this with everyone who may be in the path of Hurricane Milton. Not only does this impact electric vehicle owners, but it also affects those who own golf carts, scooters, and more!

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