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So when they become more mainstream, they should have a solution to disposal? I understand they have a certain amount of ‘recyclability’, but I still have my doubts long term.... as to the container thing, I have no knowledge of that plannof attack! That’s the trouble though..... it’s a secretive industry, that lots of money is being ploughed into, so nobody wants to share info......
stedlocks-
I had a quick skim, this seems to outline the current issues with recyclability better than I will manage:
http://www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk/in-depth-article/leading-the-charge-on-recycling-used-electric-vehicle-batteries/218596/ -
In terms of fighting a fire in a HV lithium ion battery, the answer is water, and lots of it.
You don't have to worry about shorting a 400v battery, because the water will be shorting each 3.7v cell directly, so long as you flood it properly. The water needs to keep flowing for a long time to make sure that every cell drops to ambient temperature, otherwise the hot cell will heat its neighbours again.
greentricky
Emyr
I haven't seen what Tesla do with end of life batteries yet have seen Zoe and Leaf batteries getting reused for industrial applications, they get bundled up into air-conditioned shipping containers in racks and used for either storing renewable generation, standby-power or charging when cheap and discharging when expensive (industrial users have tariffs that penalise power usage at peak times). The batteries are end of life for car due to shortened life but still have a lot of life in them for other uses. In the EU and China currently, the car manufacturer is obliged to recycling them at end of life, so they are working hard to find other applications. People will make it sound straightforward to recycle them when they are truly knacker and it isn't. its possible but it is neither cheap or easy and no where in the UK can do it that I am aware of so we send them to Europe for the time being...
As you are asking from a fire brigade point of view, I am not sure if this is true or not but when I have spoken to suppliers, I told that if the containers catch fire the fire brigade will come but once told it is a lithium battery will stand back and leave it to burn which wasn't overly reassuing.