Can anyone tell me what protection Toyota put in place to protect the passengers from the battery if an electrical fire starts in the battery? Traditional car design puts a fire wall between the front of the car and the interior so if a fire starts under the hood it can't travel back to the interior. A firewall is also located around the gas tank. Can anyone tell me about the design of the prius and the history of changes in car design and firewall protection warranted by this new technology? I know its a lot to ask but if anyone's got the info I would really appreciate it! fiver
The battery is enclosed in a sheet steel case. 2G Prius has a hatch design, so if a battery fire were to start it would be a good idea to get out of the car as soon as possible. The good news is that I haven't noticed any 2G owner posts regarding a battery fire. There were a few Classic battery fires in the past. If a fire were to start under the hood of a normal automobile, you would be well advised to get out of the car as soon as possible regardless of the presence of a firewall.
History? Firewall is a word carried over from steam motorcars at the turn of the last century. Not really a fire wall. Fires under the hood of a care don't stay there long. Volkswagons had batteries under the rear seats. My '67 Chevy pickup had the GAS TANK!!! right behind the seat in the cab. Not one of GM's better ideas. I don't know that I've ever heard of a battery fire. Heard of them exploding though. Happened in that same '67 Chevy PU. Turned the key, boom. Nothing. Opened the hood, top of battery gone. We've come a long way in safety area. I'm not worried about the battery in the back of the Prius underneath all that shrouding, padding and carpeting.
