Tesla Batteries Burning in L.A. Wildfire Offers a Surprising Concept of Sustainability

California sells more electric cars than any other state, many of which in Southern California were destroyed in the recent Los Angeles wildfires. And while the lithium-ion batteries found in EVs don’t often catch fire, when they do, they ignite fires that are very hot and take the water needed to put them out. When the fire goes out, it leaves a lot of toxic waste to wash away. It’s a new chapter and it presents a strange thing about electric cars-things that should help the environment are being burned by wildfires caused by global warming, and the batteries are leaving the environment.

According to data from S&P Global cited by Bloombergthere were over 431,000 Teslas operating in the Los Angeles area as of October 2024. This does not include vehicles from other sources.

An EV fire can take over tens of thousands of liters of water off, because the lithium-ion inside the batteries can form gas when burning, meaning that more water is needed to cool the burning pack. Tesla publishes guidelines for fire departments that advise them on how to put out fires in its vehicles. General Motors has already offered four-hour training for first responders how to stop a stubborn fire that won’t go out.

Electric vehicles come with a number of issues to consider – they are often very heavy, which causes problems on roads, for example, and charging too many EVs can lead to problems with the electricity supply. These are some of the reasons why some urban dwellers are against EVs altogether, arguing that city dwellers should use public transport if they really want to support a greener future. They come with contradictions.

Bloomberg talked to firefighters about how a previous fire in Maui gave them a plan to clean batteries in Southern California:

San Diego Firefighter Robert Rezende, a lithium battery hazard expert who will be helping with the cleanup, said plans developed for the 2023 Maui fire will be used in Los Angeles. But the magnitude of this event, and its dangers, are greater.

“The government has seen some fires, but not in this town, with many areas and buildings where you would expect to see a lot of electric cars and other energy saving systems,” said Rezende. “We’re looking forward to a big upgrade.”

In Maui, the Environmental Protection Agency sent more than 30 tons of lithium batteries from more than 1,400 properties for recycling.

An electric fireplace is very rareand the National Transportation Safety Board finding an average of 25 fires for every 100,000 electric vehicles sold.

Electric motors do not generate much heat, so fires are often found in serious accidents when the battery explodes and the chemicals inside it are unstable, generating heat and creating a protective cycle to burn out of control. Of course, excessive heat from an external source such as a fire can also cause the battery to overheat.

Unfortunately, because electric vehicles have large battery packs, there will be a lot of toxic waste to remove and try to recycle. Rain can cause toxic pollutants to reach the ocean if not cleaned up in time.

In fact, countless studies show that the environmental emissions of electric vehicles will be 70% cheaper than petrol or dieseleven accounting for salt removal or charging. Unless you lean toward the extreme end of the spectrum and think cars should be phased out, EVs are still better than gas alternatives.