Page 10 - ARA News Q3 2022

by Kara Cunningham
It’s Time to Become EVfriendly
Given the severity of the damage inside the Tesla, authorities were especially interested in the cause of the fire.
A blazing Tesla raises questions about towing, storage, repair, safety, training,
aOnd more.
n May 20, 2022, in North Vancouver,
Jamil Jutha was driving his 2021 Tesla Model Y when he received an error message just before his vehicle
lost power. The vehicle shut down, smoke filled the cabin, and Jutha kicked his way out of the vehicle, given both the door and windows were inoperable.1 Minutes after Jutha’s escape, the North Vancouver City Fire Department arrived and extinguished the fire. Luckily, nobody was injured, and Mitchell’s Towing Ltd. was called to remove the casualty.
Now there is an old saying: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”2 While it is important to remember that electric vehicles (EVs) are not known to catch on fire at a higher rate than gasoline-powered vehicles, there are special hazards associated with damaged EVs.3 As much as tow and
recovery operators need to be aware of this information, so do other automotive service providers including auto recyclers, collision repair specialists, and mechanical repairers. If you are handling an EV that has been compromised in any way, you need to know the risks.
The Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) offers training on the safe handling of EVs through its new and innovative EVfriendly program: “In addition to the hazards posed by damaged high-voltage batteries, EVs pose other risks that, if not properly handled, can result in serious injury or death.”4
Although not common, a damaged EV can also reignite long after an incident, something which many people are not aware of. According to Ken Hendricks, the ARA’s senior industry advisor and senior EVfriendly project manager, they can actually do this for
a period of up to 30 days.
Given the risks, Mitchell Martin, owner of
Mitchell’s Towing Ltd, suggests the following: “You need to create space. Once a vehicle goes up, if you are not prepared, or you do not take the measures that you should, the results can be bad. These fires are difficult to extinguish. So be aware, and don't park any of your tow trucks around it. And this advice goes for the people who are repairing them too.”
What is EVfriendly?
If this story amplifies anything, it is the need for industry training. EV training is designed to arm automotive service providers with the skills and knowledge they need to survey for hazards, load and recover an EV, and properly store and manage them.
Martin credits the training he received through the ARA’s EVfriendly program and BCIT’s electric vehicle service technician
1 Lambert, F. (2022, May 23). “Tesla catches fire at an intersection.” Electrek. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
2 EVfriendly. (2022). “Towing: Keeping Your Operators Safe.” Automotive Retailers Association. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
3 Lambert, F. (2022, May 23). “Tesla catches fire at an intersection.” Electrek. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
4 Ibid.
5 EVfriendly (2022) “The ZEV Alliance.” Automotive Retailers Association. Retrieved June 23, 2022
6 Transport Canada. (2022, April 22). “Minister of Transport announces the expansion of the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Program.” Government of Canada. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
7 Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. (2022, June 1). “B.C. supports EV adoption from purchase through repair.” Government of British Columbia. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
ARA NEWS | 3RD QUARTER 2022
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Photo courtesy of Mitchell’s Towing Ltd.