Riddle also took the shot that Barberis tipped home for the 2-1 goal. Download the Triple Team Traffic Alerts App to hear reports from the WSB Traffic Team automatically when you drive near trouble spots. And EV owners have a lot of say in the likelihood their auto causes a conflagration.ĭoug Turnbull, the PM drive Skycopter anchor for Triple Team Traffic on 95.5 WSB, is the Gridlock Guy. One factor we saw on full display in the Peach Pass Lanes along I-75 in Cobb County is undeniably true: fighting EV fires is more challenging. The lists of pros and cons for EV ownership are long, and we will get deeper into those in another column. They also offer free training videos for those in the industry. The National Fire Protection Association provides training for first responders who will inevitably face what they call AFVs - alternative fuel vehicles. Local fire departments will have to evolve with the times. SK Innovation is building a major battery facility in Jackson County. Kia, Hyundai, and Rivian are constructing new plants or expanding current facilities to crank out more of these cars. The state legislature has radically changed how EVs will be regulated as the industry grows here. Levanger, who spoke with the AJC and 95.5 WSB on the eve of National Drive Electric Week, says that our home state is undoubtedly becoming an EV hub. But fires of this nature are creating more complex situations for firefighters in places like Georgia, where EVs are proliferating as fast as trendy mixed-use developments. We do not know the exact cause of the recent EV fire in Cobb. If an EV hits something and somehow penetrates the battery chamber, the acid can ignite. Levanger also said that if drivers do not get the battery-cooling fluid checked and topped off, then the overheated batteries can break down and even cause fires.īut while maintenance is key, Levanger said he believes the number one reason for EV fires is impact. And while they have fewer moving parts and fluids, they still use hydraulic fluid in the braking systems and what Levanger called a “form of motor oil” for the electric motors.ĭrivers cannot just set and forget these cutting-edge cars. Some have the cutting edge of automotive technology, as it is right now,” Levanger explained.īut, he said, the maintenance and repair costs over the life of those vehicles is about $4,500 on average, or roughly half the cost of a normal combustion vehicle, he said.Īsked about the maintenance of EVs, Levanger said that they need routine checks just like any vehicle. “Typically, EVs command a higher price, because you are paying for newer technology. They sell 46 different makes and models of these vehicle-types, led by the moderately priced Tesla 3 and Nissan Leaf, he said. “EV battery fires are challenging, because the battery is on fire inside the car and getting the proper suppressant into those tight spaces is difficult.”īut EV sales are up in Georgia and so is investment in the burgeoning industry.Ĭarvana’s Justin Levanger, the reconditioning manager at the online car seller’s Winder facility, said that his company has seen EV sales increase by 786% in the last five years. “That explains why our firefighters were dealing with flammable liquid spilling from one side of the car and the reigniting fire within it,” Danz said. GDOT confirmed to me the next day that the SUV indeed was a hybrid, operating on both fossil fuel and a battery.
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