What do you think will happen to an electric car if it gets stuck in a flash flood?

[sage2021]

After seeing so many cars stuck in high water I wonder how would an electric car fair sitting in standing flood waters. Since the battery is located underneath the bottom part of the car and is big - the length and width of the car, I'm pretty sure the battery would be ruined and the driver would have to buy a new one. What's your opinion? Thank you🌹

[MrOracle]

The battery packs are sealed, so unless they were damaged prior, or in the process of the flood, they'd be fine. What would be more concerning for most EVs is all of the various electrical modules, most of which are NOT particularly well-sealed, which is just as true with ICE cars by the way.

The real danger with battery packs are PUNCTURES. You don't want to take an EV car off the pavement, or at least not anywhere that the bottom can be punctured. Ford has a pretty substantial steel plate running down the bottom of the Lightning, but it's a truck that's expected to go off-road, so that huge, heavy plate was required, even though it adds a lot of weight and eats up a lot of range. Most EV *cars* and cross-overs only have a plastic shell around the battery pack, so punctures are more possible.

This means you need to be more diligent about not driving over road debris, especially pieces of wood, rock, bricks, or metal, as any of these could potentially puncture the battery pack, which then COULD cause a fire that consumed the entire vehicle.

[Likes2drive]

I wouldn’t want to be in the car or near it , eventually it will catch fire after being submerged for awhile and if it’s salt water that’s even more conducive than fresh water so it will be really bad. And you know the saying don’t throw water on an electrical fire. I think of an electrical car as more of a novelty than being use in real world situations because you can’t just charge them anywhere, they only go so far and they are so expensive to buy and replace the battery

[OlderAndWiser]

Actually, my research indicates that electric cars can safely be driven through dep water and will perorm better than cars with internal combustion engines. Here's an example of several sources that I reviewed:

https://driveelectriccolorado.org/myth-buster-evs-cant-get-wet/

[DannyUk2017]

It will catch fire, as the battery if splits 12v, it stil will have enough amps to fry and combust. Its same like a phone screen, the pover from the phone pushes 3v out for motor/vibrator, speaker, screen, but the screen contains an inverter that converts 3v in to 12v, that's where the Bright screen.
Same to the cars, to be able to power the motor and screens, and lamps, and electric windows and stuff it has an Inverter, which could be equivalent with 100v in AC. So it can catch fire, think about like if you throw a plugged tv in the bathtub, what happens? Catches fire... 🤷‍♂️

[Sixgunsound]

About the same that would happen to any other vehicle, it would not be recommended to try and drive it until a mechanic determine whether or not it was a total loss. Having had a civic hybrid back when I was young and stupid, I can say that the sealing of the battery compartment and relevant wires from outside element is fairly respectable, and this was a 2005. I can only imagine the situation has improved from there. I’m not a fan of the relentless shoving of electric vehicles by hook or by crook at us from the government, nor the typically dark skinned child slaves who mine the materials to make those batteries, nor the irreversible environmental devastation resulting from same.

[Astarlessnightsky]

Depends how big the damage is.

A little water won't do anything, as everything is covered in plastic.

Minor damage will cause a short circuit, frying the entire electric system.

If the lithium comes into contact with air or water, it will cause an explosion or a really hot bright neon pink flame, that can't be extinguished with water.

[Lliam]

That's a good question that I hadn't thought of.
Electric cars are supposedly designed to handle that scenario but I don't know if I would trust that. And if the battery does get damaged, it's going to cost some $$$. $13,000 - $20,000 on a Tesla.

[sage2021]

@Lliam I don't think they thought of every scenario that might happen to electric cars before they started selling them. And yes, a new battery would cost up to half the price of the car.
These new electric cars have more problems than a math book!!

[Lliam]

I agree. I don't trust them.

[exitseven]

I think 300 volts would go through the occupants of the vehicle.

[Andres77]

Excellent point…🤔

[Debbie14217]

not work... useless