In Australia, Tesla owner recounts low charge during evacuation — ABC News Australia

In Australia, Nigel Raynard, the owner of an electric vehicle transport service, found himself in the Boddington bushfire zone south of Perth during a January holiday with less than 15% charge remaining in his Tesla battery. The car advised him to turn around, but Raynard continued to a charging station in Williams, which was under an evacuation order at the time.

As ABC News Australia reports, police were initially reluctant to let the family pass through a checkpoint into the town. Raynard managed to persuade officers to allow him through to a fast-charging station. There, he charged the vehicle for 15 minutes, gaining the energy reserve needed to leave the danger zone.

Advice for electric vehicle owners

After the incident, Raynard advised electric car owners to keep a larger charge reserve and have a backup plan. According to him, new owners should take into account that charging stations are not available in every settlement, unlike filling stations for petrol- or diesel-powered vehicles.

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Ben Shepherd, a representative of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, said that when planning trips and camping, drivers should assess in advance whether they have enough energy to reach a safe place or a charging point. According to him, owners of internal combustion engine vehicles also need to plan their exit from dangerous areas, but electric vehicle drivers must separately consider the availability of charging infrastructure.

Risks for batteries after a fire

Emma Sutcliffe, chief executive of Australian company EV FireSafe, said that electric vehicles are not more prone to catching fire than petrol or diesel vehicles. At the same time, after a fire, a damaged high-voltage battery can catch fire days, weeks or even months later. EV FireSafe researches electric vehicle battery fires and emergency services response with funding from Australia’s Department of Defence.

According to Sutcliffe, 15 confirmed electric vehicle fires have been recorded in Australia. She added that after bushfires, cases are more common in which a vehicle burns out but the battery pack remains intact. Some electric cars also have air-cleaning systems, and certain models can be used as a source of electricity for charging devices, lighting and equipment.