There ’s a lot of misinformation float around about the danger presented byelectricorhybrid car . Several news show articles have suggested that fire and rescue work party face up a serious chance of being electrocuted if they edit out into the wires of an galvanizing car , or that they might be electrocuted just from touching such a cable car if it is partly or amply submerged in piddle . These articles are overinflating the danger at best . There is n’t a single lawsuit on record of a rescuer being take aback while extricating someone from a crashed electrical or hybrid vehicle – submerse or not .
This leads us to the question of whether a large puddle could interact with the vehicle’sbatteriesor electrical organisation and have a jolt to the number one wood of an electric car – surely no one would project a automobile that could shock people randomly if it ’s drive in the rain , right ? But consider an galvanic or hybrid car that ’s been around for 10 or 15 twelvemonth . At this breaker point , depending on the proprietor ’s geographic location ,
it ’s likely been subjected to rainfall , snow , route table salt , heat and humidness . What materialize when the vehicle starts torust ? Could something go incorrect that could earmark a shock absorber to happen ?
There sure enough are safety emergence to deliberate with an galvanic car , so we ’re going to take a spirit at the base hit feature of speech that auto manufacturer have built in to electric and intercrossed cars to prevent electricity - tie in combat injury , and why it ’s improbable that urine could ever cause an galvanic car to deliver a shock .
Are galvanising and intercrossed automobile safer than gas - powered vehicles in an parking brake situation ? What about the safety of car mechanics ? What should you know about electric fomite safety ? You may be appall by what you find on the next page .
Electric Power
Both hybrid and electric vehicles apply large , herculean battery packs to powerelectric motor . These battery pack beget much gamy potential than the 12 - V batteries in most cars . For example , the battery ingroup in the Toyota Prius work above 200 volts , and other fomite have barrage systems capable of generating 300 or more V [ reservoir : Toyota Prius Battery ] . If someone were to adjoin the powerfulness cable or a poor circuit somehow diverted tycoon into a individual , the voltage floor would definitely be in high spirits enough to be lethal .
Auto mechanics and saving workers do require to be aware of the risks and take proper rubber precautions ; however , this does n’t mean electric vehicle are any more severe than gun - powered fomite . They ’re just dangerous in a dissimilar mode . If it ’s been ruptured , a full tank ofgasolineadds a great deal of peril to a saving position , just as a ruptured battery coterie or exposed power line presents a risk . Most electric and intercrossed cars have extensive condom systems that mechanically exclude off the power and isolate the battery face pack when they detect a collision or a short circuit . Circuit breakers , often locate in a compartment under the goon , trip and unplug the flow of power in the event of an electric surge or a little circuit . If a car is submerged in water , and some of that body of water gets into the electrical system , the circuit ledgeman trip . Even simply shutting down the railcar interrupts the flow of power from the batteries to the motor , so the high - potential cable television that associate them are left without power . For extra safety , the high - potential drop cables are colored promising orange - a visual indicator to avoid contact .
There ’s one danger you might not wait from blend water and galvanizing car together . If urine comes in contact with the nickel-
metal hydride in the battery cell , the lead chemical reaction formshydrogen . If enough hydrogen build up , it could do disorientation and dizziness , and it could also conduce to an explosion . This is really only an issue for rescue crews who have to deal with ruptured battery , and they can easily wield it by decently ventilating the crash .
So , now we know that electric cars are dependable in an emergency brake billet if some canonic precautions are take . But could you get shocked or cause damage to the electrical components by merely drive through a orotund pool ? To put it but , the answer is no . register the next Thomas Nelson Page to find why .
Safe Systems
To understand why water does n’t gravel the battery or the motor in an galvanic car , first consider the fact that every car you ’ve ever drive has had an electrical organization . It run at much lower potential , used a different kind of battery and serve a different purpose from the system in a hybrid car , but the principle is the same . All cars have batteries and galvanizing systems , yet they do n’t short-circuit out or shock anyone in the rainfall . Even if you get weewee on the assault and battery terminals , it generally just causes corrosion , not an prompt catastrophic result . In fact , in several models , notably sure Chrysler vehicles , the 12 - volt barrage fire is mounted behind the fronttire , near the bottom of the car , where it is frequently exposed to water and other road rubble .
Hybrid and electric car batteries are a bit different . They ’re great , have more cells and contain nickel - metal hydride or else of lead - acid . Some battery are made usinglithium - ion applied science ; however , atomic number 3 - ion batteriesare not very plebeian in cars – not yet , anyway . In the most typical configuration , the batteries are placed behind the rearward seat , sometimes in an enclose section near the trunk . In the Toyota Highlander SUV Hybrid , the stamp battery pack is underneath the rear seat , run off to a structural cross fellow member . In early Toyota Prius model , the bombardment pack was mounted flush to the back of the rear seat . The point is , in a typical electric or intercrossed car , the battery inner circle is usually nowhere near an area where it could get splashed with water from the road .
On the other manus , in some designs the battery mob is mounted near the bottom of the railcar . What then ? intercrossed vehicle invent in the United States have a battery pack encased in a varnish alloy shell . The shell is electrically isolated from current flowing from the batteries and usually cover in carpeting or with an interior panel . Even though the shell is metal , if it does get sozzled , it ’s treated to resist corrosion .
In the event that water does actually get inside the plate , there ’s still not much to care about . The nickel - metal hydride batteries used in current hybrids and electric car are maintenance - free sealed cell , so nothing gets in or out . The chemicals inwardly are design to form a gelatin , so they wo n’t spill even if the battery are ruptured in a crash . Under normal operating condition , it ’s reasonably much impossible for weewee to come into middleman with the batteries themselves . The eminent - potential note that carry the stream are likewise protected and insulated .
The bottom line – do n’t concern about dodging puddles in your Prius .
For more information about hybrid and galvanic vehicles , batteries and other related to topics , follow the links on the next varlet .
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