Safety considerations on hybrid and electric vehicles

In itself this emerging trend is going to be a challenge to the automotive industry in general and the collision industry in particular.
Some recent statistics have indicated the huge amount of development that is undertaken today, and which will continue for many years to come. We are constantly witnessing the various manufacturers announcing their commitment to the green auto industry, and promoting the benefits of their individual technologies.
By 2015, industry commentators have indicated that we will see a huge explosion in the numbers of both Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV’s), full Electric Vehicles (EV’s) and Extended Range Electric and Hybrid vehicles (EREV’s and ERHEV’s).
By that date, 30 per cent of all global motor vehicle sales will be in the HEV and EV models. 62 manufacturers have all committed to at least two models of EV’s. By 2017 it is predicted that sales of EV’s will exceed 2.2 million vehicle per annum.
Some of the issues to be addressed will include knowledge and understanding of the technology itself. Accidents will still happen with these vehicles, and both cosmetic and structural damage will be involved. While the cosmetic construction may be traditional, it is quite possible that the structure will be enhanced or reinforced to support the additional weight of either the batteries or the synergy drive systems that connect the HEV drive engines. This will mean a combination of both steel and other materials, aluminium, composites and the like.
 
Handling and storage
For both of those scenarios, the handling and storage of vehicles will become an area of concern.
I-CAR is advising, as supported by manufacturers, that these vehicles should not be pushed around the workshops, as the rotation of the wheels may continue to generate an electrical charge via the drive motors, or disconnection of the high voltage batteries as an area of OH&S risk due to the retained electrical current for in some cases up to 10 minutes after the HV battery disconnects. The drive system is a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) as used in Formula 1 race cars. The huge amount of energy generated by the braking application of the vehicle converts that energy to electricity via the drive motors, in some cases attached to each wheel. These motors also act as generators. The HV disconnect process is not the same on all makes, the switching or disconnect plugs vary in both style and process.
 
Booth temperatures
Warnings about the risk of excessive booth temperature while the HV batteries are still in the vehicles, even though they may be disconnected, are continually being made. The change in technology from Nickel Metal Hydride batteries (NiMH), to Lithium Ion, and then to Lithium Polymer has also by all reports increased the risk of fire or explosion by the Polymer (or gel type) electrolyte. The later technology batteries rely heavily on constant temperature in the correct range to maximise both the charge input and power output. The use of liquid cooling and heating systems to control this temperature and hence efficiency of the battery will need to be understood and monitored. This heat control process and the appliances used for that may also suffer accident damage and will need replacement or repair.
So while there are huge OH&S risks prior to and during repair, the issues of qualification or experience needed, and the legislation that will no doubt be put in place, revolves around who will be licensed or approved to replace (because repair is probably out of the question) of any HV cabling that may be damaged in the accident.
While vehicle manufacturers have commenced providing some information in a technical sense about HEV and EV technical matters, it is not widespread and certainly not from all manufacturers who currently have an ‘alternate fuel’ vehicle focus.

Full charge at Rolls-RoyceWhen uber-luxury car makers like Rolls-Royce announce an electric car, albeit an experimental one, you might conclude this is a strong indicator that every manufacturer believes plug, not petrol, is the way forward.
The announcement of the 102EX Phantom Experimental Electric (EE) Rolls-Royce signals the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment.
The bank of research gathered from a global drive program that will include Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America will be crucial to decisions affecting alternative drive-trains for Rolls-Royce cars.
Phantom EE’s role is as a test bed, designed to explore established BEV technologies, and to explore if an all-electric drive-train is able to deliver an authentic Rolls-Royce experience for customers.
The naturally aspirated 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine and six-speed gearbox have been replaced by a lithium ion battery pack and two electric motors mounted on the rear sub-frame. These motors are connected to a single speed transmission with integrated differential.
The nickel cobalt manganese battery chemistry holds around 230Wh/kg, a high energy density to achieve an ‘acceptable’ range between re-charges of up to 200km. Phantom EE is thought to have the largest passenger car battery in the world.