Hyundai is determined to solve the issue of out-of-control electric vehicle fires, so it is introducing a new fire suppression tool – called an EV Drill Lance – that’ll be used on its car carriers. It’s designed to extinguish EV fires by drilling through the underside of an electric vehicle to reach the battery pack. From there, it sprays water from a hydrant directly onto the pack.
That water is fed through a hose to a turbine that drives the drill. Hyundai says it can penetrate the vehicle’s underbody and battery pack within two minutes, according to the Korean Economic Daily. Once the water starts spraying into the pack, it can be extinguished in as little as a half hour. That’s a lot faster than the several hours (or even days) it usually takes to put out an EV fire.
Hyundai Glovis – the logistics arm of Hyundai’s vast empire – modified the EV drill lance to be suitable for maritime car transportation, and it is equipping 32 of its carriers with the system. Apparently, the device’s handle length can be adjusted so it can be used between tightly parked cars on the ship, and there are LED lights that can help first responders figure out where to put the lance in low-visibility conditions caused by battery fire gasses, KED Global reports. These folks really thought of everything. Of course, now EV Drill Lance would be complete without a custom-made portable bag that allows for quick and easy fire responses.
Earlier this year, Hyundai showed off a remote-controlled firefighting robot, according to InsideEVs. It’s designed to stop burning EVs from wreaking havoc in underground parking lots. It’s being built by Hyundai’s industrial vehicle arm, Rotem.
EV fires are serious business, and it’s neat to see a company like Hyundai come up with innovative ways to mitigate their damage.