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General discussion

500 cars a day catch on fire in the USA. That's not news?

May 10, 2018 12:37PM PDT

"Based on annual statistics, about 500 gas-powered cars caught on fire yesterday and ~100 people died on US roads."

And when a Tesla catches fire. It's news.


Me? Just driving a Nissan Leaf.

Discussion is locked

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RE: Why news?
May 10, 2018 1:19PM PDT

When something "new" has a problem....it's "news"...... after 50 years of gas powered cars catching fire...it's HO-hum, more of the same...

Anytime you have electricity and combustible material....FIRE is always a possibility....


Fire suppression system standard on all cars? Too much expense for the possibility of fire?

Fire at Ford plant recently ...before the vehicles even get on the road?

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It was news to me.
May 11, 2018 11:27PM PDT

Sad, but not the biggest problem we face.
Musk's persona may have something to do with it.

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Ol' Musky.
May 12, 2018 10:35AM PDT
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Old VW Beetle engines and gearboxes
May 12, 2018 12:10PM PDT

used magnesium cases. If, for any reason, a fire happened that was hot enough to involve these parts, you didn't want to douse the flames with water.

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Now, that I didn't know.
May 12, 2018 2:36PM PDT

I wonder why. Aluminum would also save weight, without the danger.
Not just 'no water', best option is to run like the wind! In boot camp I saw a demo of a Mg block used in demolition. Whoosh!

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Maybe good old Al may have issues too.
May 12, 2018 2:41PM PDT
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What happens is that the heat is so intense
May 13, 2018 2:47AM PDT

that it separates the hydrogen and oxygen from water and re-burns it in explosive fashion. If you played with metallic lithium foil in some chemistry class you'll know that it must be kept in oil. When you place a strip of the foil in water, it's reaction is to combust by doing much the same thing. The H2O is separated into it's molecular state and becomes unstable. I loved those classes and have the scars to prove it. Grin

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Lump sodium was kept in oil for the same reason.
May 13, 2018 8:14PM PDT

Drop a piece in a beaker of water and it zips around on the surface, with its little H2 flame burning. Wheee!