As someone who works in the solid waste and recycling industry, works at ta battery collection facility, and who is an “early adopter” of EV technology (2011 Nissan Leaf), here is my take on all of this.
Lithium ion rechargeable batteries are indeed a problem for fires when the terminals jangle around in transport and touch metal. It is a huge issue but only because the public doesn’t understand the proper storage and transport of batteries. They are still worthwhile to make and use, but the BATTERY INDUSTRY needs to be held accountable for public education and funding take back programs. They make the money, they need to not externalize the true costs of their business on consumers and tax payers.
EV’s are not a problem and they are developing programs for older batteries for reuse. Over time, the “better mousetrap” is making them more efficient and less toxic. No worse than the insidious 100 years of carbon emissions emitted from tailpipes that is killing our climate, or the oil spills and pollution from the fossil fuel extraction and refining processes.
Considering the toxicity it takes to make the comforts and tech of modern society needing to satisfy the desires of over 8 billion people, nasty stuff in our environment is not an “if” but a “when”. None of us are immune yet some of is bear the largest brunt of the risk—the poor.
Fire departments mandate all kinds of nasty, toxic things as fire retardants like the chemicals in the plastic part of e-waste. Not exactly ecological materials and I am sure those manufacturing factories are not someplace I would want to live next to.
The good thing in this report is assessing the damage and harm to human health. These need to be reported so there is accountability and the incentive to do better. But it should not serve as a direct conclusion on EV battery safety.
Traditional combustion vehicles are problematic, too. Several years ago, another battery fire (this in south Los Angeles) from the Exide plant that recycled lead acid batteries. Try having neuro toxic LEAD and battery acid in your soil.
It’s all nasty stuff folks.
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