A New Effective Solution For EV Caught Fire: Emergency Blanket

Featured image: Ibena

Owning an electric car is associated with some experiences, including fears of caught fire. Like any other car, electric cars can catch fire, although this probability remains much lower compared to cars powered by combustible fuel.

The burning battery of an electric vehicle is quite difficult to extinguish. This process requires the use of a very large amount of water, and even after attenuation, a fire can occur again after a few hours. To prevent re-ignition, firefighters can immerse the car in a special container with water for several hours or days.

This practice is sometimes used unjustifiably, and even when a fire occurs that is not related to the battery, the electric car can be immersed in such a “bathroom”. Of course, after this, the vehicle is very damaged and it cannot be restored. But the textile company Bocholt Ibena has already found a solution.

Ibena has developed a third option for a customer who specializes in protecting lithium batteries. A damaged car can be packed in a so-called "emergency blanket" and stored for 48 hours. The company's spokesman, Oliver Tatsch, says two men need only 3 minutes to pack a car in an "emergency blanket".

Source: Ibena

What at first glance looks like a mobile car garage is a modern, high-tech solution, Tatsch explains. “The fabric is self-extinguishing,” he said. This means that if in a vehicle starts a fire, the heat generated by the fire catalyzes the fabric, and it begins to emit gases that extinguish the fire.

There is also a protective layer that protects the car paintwork, and an absorbent filter material that filters and absorbs contaminants, such as toxic fumes or hydrofluoric acid. And the ceramic layer at the bottom of the rescue bag ensures that the leakage of chemical elements or fuel from the hybrid car cannot get into the environment.

Source: Ibena

Experts have even considered a possible battery explosion, says Tatsch. “The fabric has exceptional gas permeability," he said. This means that gases pass through the fabric during an explosion and do not tear it. This gas permeability also prevents the accumulation of heat inside the "emergency blanket" and the ignition of the battery.

Ibena specialists worked on the solution for two years, until it was ready for the market. Details are constantly being improved, for example, now there is an emergency blanket for sedans and SUVs. Also, the company is currently working on a protective blanket for vans.

H/T @Captn_Hype / Twitter, @jpr007 / Twitter