Prototype EV battery explodes at a GM research lab

Prototype EV battery explodes at a GM research labWe sometimes tend to forget that batteries tend to be potentially volatile things – they can, if stressed beyond reasonable measure, go south, like catch fire and blow up.

That’s what happened to a prototype EV battery at GM’s Technical Center battery research lab a couple of days ago – it blew up, leaving plenty of damage but only one person requiring minor treatment for concussion and some checmical burns.

According to reports, a small fire had started due to “extreme testing of a prototype battery,” and the resultant explosion of the battery caused significant structural damage in the area used to test lithium-ion batteries.

GM did not state the kind of battery that exploded, but did say that it was an A123 Systems unit, and that it was undergoing tests that were meant to stress the battery. The automaker was quick to add that the battery was not Chevrolet Volt-related, in a bid to protect the car from more negative publicity than it has had already, with regards to battery-related safety.

In May last year, a Volt caught fire after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) side-impact crash test was carried out on the vehicle, which prompted an investigation on the safety of lithium-ion batteries used for EVs. Last November, a further three Volts were tested by the NHTSA, and two out of three either sparked or caught fire while the third remained normal, the reports add.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • Julian Lee on Apr 13, 2012 at 5:13 pm

    If german battery sure kenot explode like that wan

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    • Hmm…. last news I heard BMW getting battery tech from Toyota. So German tech??

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    • lovescars on Apr 14, 2012 at 4:46 am

      Most stupid comment. Top lipo or li ion manufactures are from Korea. Stop being so dumb la. A123 batts are supposedly to be less volatile than li ion and can handle high charging rates but it’s heavier than lipo or li ion.

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  • ive thought this long time b4 since chemical battery have this kind of problem, why not utilize mechanical batteries like flywheel battery? no?

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  • CHONG KAT on Apr 13, 2012 at 6:36 pm

    if it is proton

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  • bomba_man on Apr 13, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    That’s the reason why I never park my car beside a Prius/Civic-hybrid/ct200h/crz/Prius-C/Insight…..prevention is alwez better than cure.

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    • insight on Apr 13, 2012 at 7:53 pm

      as if malaysia’s weather can reach extreme temperatures.

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      • batteryGUy on Apr 14, 2012 at 10:08 am

        believe me, if handphone and laptop batteries can explode in normal operating temperatures, anything is possible.

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    • but you can’t stop them from parking next to your ride when you’re not around…hehe

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    • beside NGV as well. if that’s your point.

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    • Carl Wong on Apr 16, 2012 at 9:34 pm

      These hybrids use Nickel Metal Hydride batteries which are proven to be very stable, safe, reliable and durable. A bit different from Lithium based(mobile phone batteries etc.) batteries which could explode but very rare.

      A normal petroleum powered car could caught fire (flammable liquid onboard…) or even explode too (from gunshot?) but still a lot of people including us drive one.

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  • prius & insight used nickel based battery.. i can say, it’s quite harmless compare to lithium ion used in other ev (volt, leaf, karma, exora reev etc)

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  • All chemical batteries (Ni-Cad, Alkaline, Li-ion etc) have the same problem. Heat and sometimes gas. Under the right charging conditions, ALL can be made to explode. The chemical reaction is also a source of inefficiency. When are we going to switch to ultracapacitors? No heat, no chemicals, very light and fairly simple in construction.

    Lets see who comes out better at Le Mans (June) this year. Audi with their flywheel battery or Toyota with their ultracapacitor battery

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    • it’s good but.. the charging and discharge rate it too high.. it might useful for system like KERS.. but not for EV/Hybrid.. it cant store electrical energy for that long.. =)

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  • i read it as Proton EV batery explodes…. … hahahha

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  • squall_shinoda on Apr 15, 2012 at 7:34 am

    The problems of ultracapacitors are their low energy storage capacity and high self discharge, which in turn requires us to charge constantly even if it’t already fully-charge, thus wasting electricity. For backup application like KERS is still ok la, but not for primary electric power supply, at least for now.

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    • That is the challenge and I think scientists are working hard to solve it. That’s why ultracapacitors are not hitting mainstream automotive yet. In terms of energy density, they solved that already thanks to nanotechnology etc. I guess the big issue still is the high leakage (self-discharge). I think they will get around this one day.

      Surprisingly, supposedly cutting edge F1 is still using chemical batteries. Don’t know what’s holding them back. While kinetic flywheel batteries as developed by Williams Hybrid Power is not used in F1 I suspect due to packaging issues but instead is being tried in production sports cars like Porsche and Audi’s R18 LMP1 Hybrid racer.

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  • squall_shinoda on Apr 15, 2012 at 7:46 am

    All electrochemical batteries can explode if not handled carefully, and that includes those tiny AAA-size batteries, mostly due to their electrochemical operating processes. In addition, battery rupture and short-circuit can also cause explosion as well. That’s why major hybrid cars like Prius and Insight place their battery packs below rear seat, at the front of rear axle. In addition, they also have air vents to avoid battery overheating.

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