LittleWoods
Well-Known Member
Because a car in the middle of the road like that has most certainly been in a crash.
Would really appreciate actual news reporting and not social media posts with zero context.
PSA: Recall for HV Battery
- Thread starter inferno10
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Would really appreciate actual news reporting and not social media posts with zero context.
pictsidhe
Well-Known Member
For an EV that's had a battery fire, it's remarkably intact. Usually it's hard to tell what it was.
Puppethead
Well-Known Member
That looks like it got t-boned and then the fire started, nothing to do with charging. The photo with the flames doesn't look any worse than a gasoline fire. Also curious to see the bonnet popped open, there's nothing under there except the motor, heat pump, and 12 V battery. Is that emergency response protocol?
Here in Michigan, it's more likely I'll die from being stabbed by deer antlers coming through my windshield. Meanwhile, I'll keep hanging on tightly to my favorite car ever.
MichaelC
Well-Known Member
When I had my F56 SE, I remember seeing an "emergency cut" wire under the bonnet on the driver's side, near the windshield. I assume that's some kind of safety disconnect or way to trigger the traction battery's primary fuse.
MrSnrub
Well-Known Member
Because heat distorts metal?
MrSnrub
Well-Known Member
the mental gymnastics over a platform that has a serious fault is hilarious. The F56 SE needs a recall not a software update
CuriousGeorge
Well-Known Member
That's what I was going to mention.
As you may know, there's also a disconnect under the access panel for the right taillight. That one you can pull partway apart for, e.g., service then push back together to reconnect.
Initially counterintuitive to me is how small the wires are, but it makes sense when you realize that these disconnects apparently just isolate the battery controller, so that high current doesn't flow (unless there's an active short).
CuriousGeorge
Well-Known Member
That possibility did occur to me.
It also occurred to me that emergency responders may have yanked the car away from wherever the incident started, to prevent the fire from spreading and/or to provide better access.
Still, odd!
CuriousGeorge
Well-Known Member
For sake of argument, let's assume that this was indeed a spontaneous battery fire, and not the result of a collision.
Let's also assume that there were indeed two other such incidents in the UK earlier this year (although I don't know where you're getting that information).
AFAIK, the software update to enhance battery monitoring was the result of two fires.
So, that's five, out of a total production of over 140,000, or 0.004%.
At what point would a recall to take additional steps be warranted?
That's not a rhetorical question, but also one that I'm not sure I know the answer to.
I suppose a couple of really big considerations would be:
1) are fires limited only to those couple/few hundred SEs with batteries that weren't sealed properly, and
2) did any fires occur in vehicles that received the software update, which failed to flag a developing problem? (If the owner ignored the warning, that's another story.).
If 1, then the failure rate is much higher, but it would seem that the cause has already been identified and the issue has already been successfully addressed (unless some resealed battery catches fire due to water ingress).
Same if not 2.
OTOH, If not 1 but if 2, then perhaps some additional actions are warranted (or not).
Point being, there's too much that we as consumers don't know to draw any valid conclusions even if humans were capable of accurately judging risk (which we aren't).
ETA: According to Google AI, high risk industrial plants target an annual risk of catastrophic equipment failure of, coincidentally, <0.004%. Thus, if there have actually been five fires and the issue hasn't already been successfully addressed (see above), then it would seem that the situation may be on the cusp of requiring further action. However, both of these conditionals would have to be true. Otherwise, this standard hasn't been exceeded.
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