U.K.-based 6x6 vehicle manufacturer Prospeed has come up with a solution to combat electric vehicle fires.
The firm states that while electric vehicles are statistically less likely to catch fire than an internal combustion engine car, incidents involving a lithium-ion battery can be far more serious and difficult to extinguish.
At 1,850mm tall, the HILOAD will be able to attend to electric vehicle fires in most multi-story carparks It attributes this danger to the fact that the resulting blaze of an electric car accident or external fire can be difficult to contain once the energy in the cells is released.
To tackle this danger, the firm has developed HILOAD, a rapid intervention vehicle complete with an innovative system for extinguishing electric vehicle battery fires.
Called the Cobra Ultra High Pressure Lance, the system launches water containing a suspended abrasive, allowing it to pierce a hole through floor pans and inject water at up to 300bar to directly cool the inside of a battery, allowing quick quenching of a fire and preventing the battery from releasing its stored energy.
Prospeed states that independent tests from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency found that the system can cool down electric vehicle batteries with just 240 litres of water, a mere 20% of the tank capacity of the HILOAD vehicle.
Prospeed additionally states that the HILOAD, while utilising a Toyota Hilux as its donor vehicle, sports an entirely new chassis complete with a torque splitter system. These allow it to offer a 3,000kg payload. Its height, at 1,850mm, will also allow it to access most parking structures to tackle fires. This low height also gives the vehicle added general stability during high-speed manoeuvres.
The firm states that while electric vehicles are statistically less likely to catch fire than an internal combustion engine car, incidents involving a lithium-ion battery can be far more serious and difficult to extinguish.
To tackle this danger, the firm has developed HILOAD, a rapid intervention vehicle complete with an innovative system for extinguishing electric vehicle battery fires.
Called the Cobra Ultra High Pressure Lance, the system launches water containing a suspended abrasive, allowing it to pierce a hole through floor pans and inject water at up to 300bar to directly cool the inside of a battery, allowing quick quenching of a fire and preventing the battery from releasing its stored energy.
Prospeed states that independent tests from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency found that the system can cool down electric vehicle batteries with just 240 litres of water, a mere 20% of the tank capacity of the HILOAD vehicle.
Prospeed additionally states that the HILOAD, while utilising a Toyota Hilux as its donor vehicle, sports an entirely new chassis complete with a torque splitter system. These allow it to offer a 3,000kg payload. Its height, at 1,850mm, will also allow it to access most parking structures to tackle fires. This low height also gives the vehicle added general stability during high-speed manoeuvres.
