Do bumps affect EV batteries?

I was out visiting a lake in BC yesterday. The road up had a lot of potholes and areas with washboard.. very bumpy. Some of the potholes were in shade from surrounding trees and impossible to see until I drove over them. Some with a huge smash on the car, like when shocks reach max and the whole car shudders from the impact.
I was wondering if an EV could even handle that kind of road.. or would it suddenly burst into flame or something?

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ninalanyon · 61-69, T

I've driven over a few sleeping policemen (speed bumps/humps) in my Model S that were so high that when the front wheels came down there was quite bang as the bottom of the car hit the bump. Definitely no flames.

The front part of the battery compartment apparently has a titanium alloy shield to protect it.

But i wouldn't want to drive my Model S on the road you describe simply because it only has 130 mm of ground clearance. I did run into a deep pothole on a road in Devon a couple of years ago. That destroyed the tyre and damaged the wheel but did no other damage to the car.

I don't think there is any reason to suppose that a properly constructed EV with appropriate ground clearance would be any less suited to such a road than the equivalent ICE vehicle. Presumably the Ford F-150 Lightning can be used where a conventional F-150 can.

Heartlander · 80-89, M

We're on our 2nd hybrid, mot quite the same as an EV, but shares some of the pros and cons. I don't recall any concerns about rough roads or potholes. There was a warning for the Prius about spinning the wheels without road friction, like driving on ice, snow or sand. But not about potholes or rough rides.

WillaKissing · 56-60, M

Well? What happened? Did your EV make it?

You started the story off and then posed the question. Why don't you tell us the conclusion of your experience. You tell us dang it you were driving your EV, or are you sitting next to it beside a pothole waiting rescue and hoping a bear does not make you a snack? Come on dang it you have the answer.

I have never own nor will own an EV so I will never know.

JamesBugman

@WillaKissing Guess I should have mentioned I have ICE car. Thinking about getting a EV though, hence the question.

WillaKissing · 56-60, M

@JamesBugman Okay now your story makes sense to me.

Thanks

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

I mean on some at least the battery pack is mounted on the bottom of the car so something that could damage the undercarriage could theoretically damage the battery but so is the gas tank on a ICE car.

SandWitch · 26-30, F

Inside an EV battery, there are a series of ceramic separators which keep the internal battery components from touching each other. Sudden bottoming-out of shock absorbers or hitting the car's frame against an off-road obstruction, can crack those ceramic separators which occur from impact damage that is transferred across the sub-frame of the vehicle as that shock disperses.

If you notice a sudden decrease in your predicted 'range' as depicted on the onboard computer, you can assume the EV's battery is shorting out and if that happens on a Tesla, the computer will automatically shut down the electrical system and lock the doors and then close all the windows simultaneously.

If that happens, you must use the manual door release handle to exit the vehicle because the electric door-unlock button will be disabled.

jackrabbit10 · M

don't drive fast on a road with potholes,

JamesBugman

@jackrabbit10 If there is a bump do you slow right down and everyone honks at you? Is a bump forefront in your mind when driving around? If you hit a pothole do you pull over and do an inspection each time?

jackrabbit10 · M

@JamesBugman I live in the country. guess I am use to the potholes. no speed bump hear,

dirge

unless things were right on the hairy edge of about to be a problem anyway, an ev in general should be able to take pretty much the same as any other vehicle. and a well designed one, possibly even more.

Monalisasmith86 · 41-45, F

What like gasoline doesn’t burst a car inflames

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Monalisasmith86 · 41-45, F

@JamesBugman yes I guess

SandWitch · 26-30, F

@Monalisasmith86
Yes, gasoline will burst a car into flames if the vehicle receives a sudden impact, even if the fuel tank is not leaking fuel from the impact.

The impact can be from colliding with something horizontally, or it can be from colliding with something vertically, such as if the vehicle collides with the ground underneath itself.

It does not require sparks or flames or leaking fuel to burst gasoline into flames, it only requires a sudden shock to the fuel tank and it's surrounding metal support structure. This is because gasoline is very unstable as are all petroleum products in the higher layers of the oil refining process.

The higher up the refining chain you go, the more unstable the product is. The lower down in the chain, the more shock is required to burst fuel into flames, such as with diesel fuel which is less volatile than gasoline.

The difference between an EV fire and a gasoline fire is that structural failure would have to occur for an EV battery to catch fire after the vehicle collides with something horizontally or vertically, whereas a sudden impact will cause gasoline to ignite without a spark and without structural failure of the gas tank.

Monalisasmith86 · 41-45, F

@SandWitch yes it will

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