Volvo hybrid catches fire

[Billggski]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ngham-43737982

[The Thong]

You just beat me to this. Anything that’s packed full of electronic jiggery has the potential to burst into flames, ask Tesla. Volvo will be all over this like a shot, glad nobody got hurt.

TT

[HenryPerez48]

Whether you are carrying a tank of fuel or a bunch of batteries you are always at risk with a vehicle. As technology improves the batteries will get safer. Samsung saw the harsh effects of a manufacturing defect in batteries with the note phone.

[green van man]

Originally Posted by HenryPerez48

Whether you are carrying a tank of fuel or a bunch of batteries you are always at risk with a vehicle. As technology improves the batteries will get safer. Samsung saw the harsh effects of a manufacturing defect in batteries with the note phone.

The best technology in the world can fall foul of sloppy workmanship.
Plug in hybrids as I understand it draw considerable current when charging, a faulty termination can and does cause a lot of localised heat, surrounding materials then heat to combustible temperatures and self ignite.

The 3rd amendment of BS 7671 was to introduce non combustible enclosures for distribution boards amongst other things, campaigned for by the London fire brigade because of the number of fires caused by poor terminations in distribution boards made of plastic.

To me it says more about the quality of the "tradesmen" installing and maintaining these plastic distribution boards than the fact we need metal enclosures to prevent the spread of fire. In 45 years as an electrician I've not had a distribution board I've installed catch fire, it would also seem that only the London fire brigade saw it as a problem that needed regulation change.

Paul.

[I-S]

The fire seems to have mostly and most severely affected the engine bay of the car.

IE where the internal combustion bits are. The Hybrid bits of the vehicle are the battery pack in the centre spine of the car (from approx gear shifter back) and the motor on the rear axle.

The point I'm making is that until investigation is done there is not necessarily a link between "It's a hybrid" and "it caught fire". Plenty of internal combustion engine vehicles catch fire and we don't hear of it. As soon as a hybrid or electric vehicle does then somehow it's newsworthy?

According to the UK fire service 100000 vehicles per year in the UK catch fire. 65% are deliberate, which leaves 35000 non-deliberate vehicle fires each year. I would go so far as to suggest that hybrids and particularly EVs are less likely to catch fire.

[simonjedrake]

It now appears that this fire was a deliberate act of arson and absolutely nothing to do with the fact the car was a Hybrid - see posting No 31 and the video evidence.
https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showt...=280509&page=4

An earlier posting on this thread also alluded to possible reasons for doubts in this case which I will allow the reader to judge the evidence........and just why it has taken so long for the owner to suddenly ‘find’ this piece of video......smells of fish........

[The Thong]

Interesting eh? Grudge? Competitor? He owes someone some money or something to that effect?

TT

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

I'd like to see Volvo UK take the Daily Fail to court for slander for publishing a story without all the facts!