Truck equipped with electric vehicle batteries caught fire, closing the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and bridges

A truck carrying a load of electric vehicle batteries overturned in Los Angeles and witnessed an explosion following the accident, causing the batteries to catch fire and burn for an extended period of time. It took a long time for firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) to extinguish the batteries of the electric vehicles that caught fire, with some still burning until now, according to reports.

The LAFD also said the fire was expected to last up to 24 to 48 hours and has since led authorities to close the Port of Los Angeles and the nearby Port of Long Beach.

Electric vehicle batteries catch fire after truck overturns in Los Angeles

Unknown electric vehicle batteries caught fire after the truck transporting them overturned in Los Angeles, and according to The Verge, it led to major shutdowns in nearby areas. A nearby towing service company shared drone footage moments after the truck flipped onto its side, where its battery exploded after the crash, splitting 60,000 pounds. of the lithium battery accident.

Firefighters responded to the scene and the LAFD said it would take approximately 24 to 48 hours before declaring the fire completely extinguished at 10 p.m. PT Thursday evening.

The cargo, which weighs 60,000 pounds. electric vehicle batteries, has been a challenge for firefighters, primarily because large concentration amounts of lithium batteries are notoriously highly flammable.

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Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach, bridge closed due to fire

According to Caltrans District 7, this fire effectively closed the Port of Los Angeles, where the incident occurred, also affecting the nearby Vincent Thomas Bridge on State Route 47.

Throughout the day, it also affected operations at the nearby Port of Long Beach, centered on Pier A and Pier T. Earlier in the day, the California Department of Transportation said the fire had been extinguished with successful but had not yet reopened the roads due to cleanup. dangerous materials.

Electric vehicle battery fires are dangerous and can last a long time

Lithium-ion (Li-on) batteries, used in most electric vehicle batteries, are known to be flammable. Once they catch fire, it takes considerable effort and methods to put it out. This is why when fire hazard issues are discovered on electric vehicles, automakers are quick to recall them for repair or replacement, with BMW having recently experienced this problem.

There are still few fire suppression systems among electric vehicles, any of which could successfully prevent an electric vehicle battery fire from getting out of control as soon as it detects it. That being said, many developments in power cell technology aim to address these issues, especially with promising solid-state batteries.

Although there are cases where electric vehicles spontaneously catch fire, this could be due to poor maintenance of the car or potential problems encountered by an electric vehicle, but manufacturers have not yet noticed this. Another cause is accidents like those in Los Angeles, which led to a significantly prolonged closure of two ports and a bridge, hampering its daily operations.

Related article: Automaker Geely’s latest EV battery can last up to 50 years, 3,500 cycles