PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Extinguishing a car fire can be challenging, especially when it’s an electric car up in flames. A lawmaker from Salem County, New Jersey says firefighters need more training on how to extinguish electric vehicle fires.
Assemblywoman Bethanne McCarthy Patrick said lithium-ion batteries burn hotter and, in some cases, can even explode if they are sprayed with water.
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There are about 80,000 electric vehicles registered in New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy wants to see that increase to more than 300,000 by 2025, so McCarthy Patrick said having firefighters properly trained ahead of that is very important.
“EV fires, they require much more effort right now because they don’t just go out in an hour or what have you. Firefighters could be sitting on the scene for a while to put them out.”
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The bill is being introduced soon, and it would still need to clear committee hearings before it can be put up for a full vote in both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature. There's no timeline on when that might happen.