Featured Hyundai Kona EV explodes in Montreal

I find it interesting that his first move was to flip the breaker when he knew it wasn’t plugged in.

Or at least he says.

We’ve seen car fires reported here before, so not the first and probably not the last.

 

Lithium and water does have an exothermic reaction, which if contained could develop a pressure wave.

One possible cause.

 

Probably for the insurance.

 

Having just bought the car in March, highly unlikely, but anything is possible.

 

No. For the house. I had it backwards anyhow. He would have pulled the plug for the insurance, not the circuit breaker.

 

we store a 200Lb propane tank in the garage, makes me consider moving it elsewhere.

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Global warming?

HALTEX (halt and explode) instruction in their software?

Bob Wilson

 

Indoor storage of a decent volume of flammable material?

Is the tank easily moved?

Sounds like a good idea to me.

 

Are the batteries in the Kona up front?
I am skeptical that this was a battery, or even the car.
Especially since it wasn't plugged in and the damage seems focused on the front of the car.
I think something else in the garage started it, perhaps they also had a 200Lb propane tank in the garage??

It will be interesting to see the full report.

 

I can’t think of a place where that wouldn’t have the fire marshal breaking out in a cold sweat. Even a 1lb camping gas cylinder with a slow leak can fill up that space with an explosive mix. Then the relay in the electric overhead door opener provides the spark and you’ve got a big bang.

 

But this isn’t a problem unless there is:

1. A leak OR
2. A source of heat that can heat the storage tank to a high enough pressure causing the relief valve on the tank to activate, releasing propane into the enclosed space since it isn’t outdoors

The full report will probably be enlightening though into our speculations.

 

maybe they have the prius headlight wiring issue

 

Unintended acceleration in all directions.

Bob Wilson

 

seriously? ours are required to be 20' from the house

even my sil's 20 lb tank burned her house down from the deck

 

in Montana we kept the big Propane Supply in the barn, a good hundred fifty feet away from the house. In SoCal? Tiny postage stamp Lots with homes stacked like dominoes? Not many places to keep it. We do have a little 'flammable' cabinet for all of the paints, gasoline, & solvents in a shed outside the house. WAY too small for a tank of that caliber.
Only gave this a little bit of thought over the years - until the above OP's post - rationalizing propane is a heavy gas, it would vent out the bottom of the garage door, or the Lower Side vents that keep people from asphyxiating on carbon monoxide. Both the tankless water heater & other ignition sources are up 6' to 10' high. Still ...... time to move this up the to do list a bit.
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put it as close to your neighbors house as possible, they'll thank you for it

 

Who schedules their leaks? The whole issue with gas is the leak you don’t know you have. Gas cylinders stored outside can almost always disperse the gas safely in case of any leak or venting.