The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued this safety advisory notice to inform the public and raise awareness of the risks involved in the transportation of electric vehicles (EVs) powered by installed lithium batteries that may have been damaged due to submersion in waters during extreme weather events. When transported in commerce, EVs containing these damaged batteries may present particularly significant hazards to the public, including property damage, injury, and even death. Our intention with this notice is to prevent those things from happening.
Furthermore, PHMSA wishes to remind potential shippers of EVs—including vehicle owners, salvage companies, and vehicle transport companies—that they have a responsibility to assess EVs for potential damage to their installed lithium batteries and to observe the specific requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) for both the transportation of EVs containing lithium batteries, and for the transportation of damaged and/or defective lithium batteries in commerce. Continue reading “Transportation of electric vessels containing lithium batteries”
A new initiative was rolled out and launched in September by Chubb. A new Lloyd’s of London consortium has been created (which Chubb will lead) that is designed to provide insurance coverage for risks associated with the transit and storage of lithium battery.
Devastating consequences of rapidly spreading, and often challenging to extinguish fires involving the lithium-ion batteries particularly in electric vehicles (EV) on board ships, and other parts of the supply chain have been well-documented in recent months. There is however far less awareness of the highly toxic combustion products that are released and their respective impact to the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the gases.