Hurricane Helene just swept its way through the East Coast, leaving damage and flooding, and sadly deaths, in its wake. And the area is already gearing up for another tropical system that could potentially form later this week and hit the area that's already been battered.
Yet, while everyone picks up the pieces of their lives, gets ready for another hit, and cleans up the damage created, an unseen risk is also gearing up for further cause for concern. No, I'm not talking about all the displaced alligators or pythons that are now roaming the streets, backyards, or garages of the southern states. Rather, I'm talking about electric vehicles that have been flooded by the salty waters of the Atlantic.
See, modern electric vehicles and salt water aren't best friends and, when submerged, often lead to fiery outcomes. Given the popularity of both electric cars and motorcycles, as well as other powersport vehicles, is rising, I thought it'd be a good idea to detail what happens when the two come together.
So let's get into it.
The issue presenting itself isn't just an EV issue, though it produces more explosive results. What happens is that if salt water can inundate an EV's lithium-ion battery, as well as other regular 12V lithium-ion car batteries, it can short the battery's circuit and lead to thermal runaway, i.e. one battery cell catches fire and then the next and then the next and so on.
For a regular 12V, you've got the single battery which is usually a little easier to control the spread. But for an EV, and though they're supposedly designed to reduce the risk of thermal runaways, because there are so many cells lined up in a row, you've got the real potential for explosive circumstances. Salt water makes that shorting possible due to its composition. And given that many vehicles become flooded during hurricanes and tropical storms, the likelihood of such instances increases, even though electric vehicle manufacturers are putting watertight seals around their batteries.
But nothing is perfect. Damage to those seals can occur, and manufacturing defects happen.
Now, there's no guarantee that your electric vehicle, whether it's a Tesla or a Stark Varg, Can-Am Origin, or future EV Sea-Doo will short circuit and catch fire after a Hurricane. As I said, manufacturers seal their batteries pretty well. But if your EV motorcycle was submerged in saltwater for an extended period of time, those seals can begin to degrade, so it's best to get it away from any structures as quickly as possible.
Tesla, for its part, even suggests that owners "Safely tow or move the vehicle at least 50 ft (15 m) from structures or other combustible materials such as other cars and personal property." Furthermore, fires can occur long after the floodwaters recede, as the saltwater can continue to degrade the environmental seals around the battery. So even a few weeks after a hurricane, your EV could catch fire.
Here's also where I tell you that EV fires after hurricanes are pretty rare. Manufacturers do a good job of sealing their batteries. But already damaged vehicles, fast-moving floodwaters with debris, and other variables can occur to make it more common. This is more of a PSA than anything else, as you should be wary of just hopping back onto your bike or into your car, even though it can't technically get waterlogged.
Be careful out there.
