It is good to know the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service has plans for dealing with electric vehicle fires.

Fires are most likely to occur as a result of road traffic collisions causing short circuits, but also possible while the car is being charged, don’t charge your car in the garage but as far as possible away from your house.

You can also get spontaneous fires caused by internal battery faults particularly in older batteries which have been subjected to frequent rapid charging.

That is why you are not allowed to send lithium batteries by post or put luggage containing such batteries in the hold luggage when you fly.

I wonder if electric car fires have been considered in the design of the new Manxman vessel?

A one-ton lithium battery produces a great volume of toxic fumes and a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius.

The steel decking under the burning car would glow red hot and any service cables or pipes underneath could be damaged.

Some drill should be evolved for dealing with such a fire while at sea.

On the Manannan, being of aluminium construction the deck would probably melt under the car, perhaps the burning car would drop straight through the hole into the sea?

At least that would put the fire out.

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