California sells more electric cars than any other state, many of which in Southern California were destroyed during the recent Los Angeles wildfires. And while the lithium-ion batteries in EVs don’t always burst into flames, when they do they create fires that are very hot and take a lot of water to put out. When fires are extinguished, they leave behind a lot of toxic waste to clean up. This is a new headache and presents a funny thing about electric cars — things that are supposed to help the environment are burned in a wildfire that started global warming, and batteries leave a lot of damage to the environment.

According to data from S&P Global cited by Bloombergthere will be more than 431,000 Teslas operating in the Los Angeles area as of October 2024. That does not include vehicles from other brands.

EV car fire can be removed ten thousand gallons of water to extinguish, because the lithium-ion inside the batteries generate oxygen when ignited, meaning more water is needed to cool the burning pack. Tesla publishes guidelines for fire departments that teach them how to put out fires from its vehicles. General Motors used to provide four-hour training sessions for first responders how to stop stubborn fires that won’t go out.

Electric vehicles have several unique drawbacks to consider – they are often very heavy, which poses problems for road infrastructure, for example, and charging many EVs can be overwhelming. of electrical appliances. These are some of the reasons why some urban dwellers are completely against EVs, arguing that people in cities should use public transportation if they want to support a green future. They come with contradictions.

Bloomberg talked to a firefighter about how past fires in Maui gave them a game plan to clean up batteries in Southern California:

San Diego firefighter Robert Rezende, a specialist in lithium-battery hazards who will help with the cleanup effort, said the protocols developed during the 2023 Maui fires will be used in Los Angeles. But the scale of this event, and the risks, are greater.

“The state has seen other fires, but nothing in this urban area, which has many neighborhoods and structures where you would expect to see a lot of electric vehicles and other energy storage systems,” said Rezende. “We expect a big increase.”

In Maui, the Environmental Protection Agency sent more than 30 tons of lithium batteries from more than 1,400 properties for recycling.

Electric vehicle fires are very rarewith the National Transportation Safety Board finding approximately 25 fires for every 100,000 electric vehicles sold.

Electric motors don’t generate much heat, so fires often occur in serious accidents when the battery ruptures and the sensitive chemicals and elements inside become unstable, releasing heat and then creates a self-sustaining cycle that cannot be stopped. Of course, high heat from an outside source like a wildfire can also cause the battery to overheat.

Unfortunately, because electric vehicles have a lot of battery packs, there is a lot of toxic waste to get and try to recycle. Rain can cause toxic pollutants to reach the ocean if it is not cleaned up in time.

In fact, countless studies have shown that the lifecycle emissions of electric vehicles 70% less gasoline or dieseleven accounting for mineral extraction or charging. Unless you lean towards the extreme end of the spectrum and think cars should be phased out entirely, EVs are likely to be better than alternative gas options.