Here's yet another hurricane Hazard: Your Precious EV may explode into Flames

Range anxiety? How about floods-then-fire anxiety?

Yes, that’s the fear of many electric vehicle owners in flood zones such as those being pummeled in Florida.

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That’s because storm surges from Hurricane Milton and other wild weather events could turn electric vehicles and other products containing lithium-ion batteries into “ticking time bombs,” Florida’s fire marshal, Jimmy Patronis, warned.

Residents and first responders are being cautioned about “an alarming fire hazard with lithium-ion batteries, EVs, as well as hybrid and fuel cell vehicles in preparation of Hurricane Milton,” according to a Monday statement from Patronis, who also serves as the state’s chief financial officer.

His warning comes after prior flooding led EVs to burst into flames, with Florida officials pointing to 48 lithium-ion battery fires related to storm surge from September’s devastating Hurricane Helene, with 11 of those involving EVs. And, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2022’s Hurricane Ian ruined the batteries of about 5,000 electric vehicles, with 36 of them catching fire.

The fact that the hurricane-induced flooding is by saltwater is a big part of the phenomenon, because it can conduct electricity and lead to chemical reactions with the ingredients in batteries. For this reason, Patronis urged EV owners to move their autos EVs to higher ground. And if they are soaked by the briny onslaught, EVs flooded by saltwater should be moved away from residences to safe locations, so “you can worry about fixing your home, instead of rebuilding it due to fire,” he added. Meanwhile, vehicles or other devices that are at risk for flooding should be unplugged and moved to an open space, according to both Tesla and Patronis.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine State’s Gov. Ron DeSantis weighed in: “If you have an EV, you need to get that to higher land,” he had said at a Wednesday news conference. “Be careful about that getting inundated. It can cause fires.”

You have been warned.