David Blackmon’s commentary published today adds to the undeniable literal pile of proof accumulating from recorded incidents of the dangers of not clean nor green lithium-ion batteries whether they be in the form of electric vehicles, bikes or battery banks.
An 18-wheeler overturned on I-15 South Friday afternoon, causing a 75,000 lb load of lithium-ion batteries to spontaneously combust (because of course it did). Emergency first responders were forced to shut down the freeway, which serves as basically the only efficient ground artery between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
The New York Times reports that Emergency responders were concerned about the fire causing the release of a number of deadly toxic chemicals, including hydrogen cyanide, chlorine and sulfur dioxide. A spokesman for San Bernardino County said, “These chemicals pose significant health risks at elevated levels, with hydrogen cyanide and chlorine being particularly dangerous even at low concentrations.”
Oh. But wait, lithium-ion batteries provide the power for electric vehicles, don’t they? They also provide all that vaunted stationary storage that propaganda outlets like the New York Times are constantly hyping, don’t they? Doesn’t that mean these batteries are, like, “green,” and stuff, or something?
Um, well, not according to this specific NYTimes story. For some odd reason, the paper’s editors decided to momentarily lurch off into the truth about these monsters.
Check out this excerpt:
Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in many electronic devices, including e-bikes and electric cars, contain highly flammable materials. If ignited, the batteries burn hot and are very difficult to put out.
The fire district noted on social media that lithium-ion battery fires “can escalate to thermal runaway, needing massive amounts of water to extinguish.”
[End]
Oh, you don’t say! “Thermal runaway,” huh?
Perhaps that explains why firefighters had to shut down this very busy freeway for hours on end in searing summer heat as they tried in vain to douse the persistent fire. You think?
In the end, officials gave up on reopening I-15 until the fire played itself out, and managed to re-route all the thousands of drivers over to I-40, which the Times timidly notes also caused massive traffic jams on that freeway. Imagine that.
Just one more bit of proof, as if we needed one, that this “green” energy isn’t really green at all. The sooner we all stop pretending it is, the sooner we can start addressing our real energy needs.
That is all.
I highly recommend also reading the rather mind blowing specially curated Cornucopia of EV Combustion Clusterspublished Tuco’s Child linked below:
Nothing like an awesome Green Thermal Runaway Fire to make one's day a better day!