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Re:Hertz to Sell 20k EVs in Shift Back to Gas-Powered Cars by donatj on Friday January 12, 2024 @01:16AM (#38964590)
We’ve literally got people right now open air pouring liquid gasoline. It’s not uncommon to even get some on yourself.

My point is it can’t be much more of a hazard.

Re:Hertz to Sell 20k EVs in Shift Back to Gas-Powered Cars by petre on Friday January 12, 2024 @04:14AM (#38965827)
Sounds like you haven't seen a lithium or a sodium fire yet. After you've seen one, you'll handle batteries like you do explosives..
Re:Hertz to Sell 20k EVs in Shift Back to Gas-Powered Cars by klodolph on Friday January 12, 2024 @01:37AM (#38964742)
This is gonna sound crazy but gasoline is not that much of a fire hazard. I’m speaking comparatively.

I used a gasoline stove for a while and it is bonkers how hard that thing is to light. You can spill the gas or do all sorts of things—the only thing I could do to get a fire out of it was to follow the instructions, exactly, and keep the stove perfectly level. I later learned that gasoline only burns if you keep the gasoline / air mixture within a narrow range. I know that gasoline is implicated in a lot of fires, but it’s also just so damn common and people are careless with it.

Powerful batteries scare me more, to be honest. Not a lot more, just a little. Not trying to fearmonger here. It’s just that I love those sparks and that fire, and have spent time playing with batteries and playing with gasoline or other flammable substances. If you short a battery, it will basically dump as much energy as it can, as fast as it can. It’s easier to accidentally short a battery.

Properly stored & maintained batteries are fine. I just get a little nervous holding a wrench, sometimes.

Re:Hertz to Sell 20k EVs in Shift Back to Gas-Powered Cars by otabdeveloper4 on Friday January 12, 2024 @01:40AM (#38964770)
Gasoline is not much of a fire hazard. (Compared to other things like a 32 ampere spark right next to a lithium battery, at least.)