(NewsNation) — Lithium batteries are better for the ozone, but they are causing a different kind of environmental problem in the form of fires.
In Los Angeles, authorities have documented multiple highway fires caused by trucks carrying or powered by lithium batteries, which emit toxic gasses when they burn.
The city also had to shut down its port for more than two days because of a lithium-ion battery fire, leading some lawmakers to call for safety improvement.
There are more than a million electric vehicles on the roads in California, and the state is making a major push toward going all-electric, raising the odds for major incidents.
Last month, a big rig loaded with lithium batteries crashed and caught fire, spewing toxic gasses and shutting down access to the Port of Los Angeles. Over the summer, another truck crashed, and a battery fire with a thermal runaway shut down Interstate 15 for two days near San Bernadino.
Interstate 15 is the primary roadway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and the incident stranded hundreds of motorists in high heat, many without food or water.
Now, Republicans in the California Assembly are asking Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to put the brakes on upcoming electric vehicle mandates. Specifically, they want to put a stop to the Clean Fleets rule, which requires large trucking fleets to be all-electric by 2045 and a ban on diesel truck sales by 2036.
“We’re not trying to stop this decarbonization move,” said Assemblymember Tom Lackey. “What we’re trying to do is make sure that we do it in a measured way that makes sense and is safe. When we have this new threat, let’s study it, and let’s make sure that we’re doing everything we can to minimize the exposure of tragedy.”
Fire departments all over the country have adapted to smaller battery fires sparked by EV bikes and scooters. Those fires are hard to put out, but bigger loads on big rigs present a much more difficult challenge with larger fires and more potential for thermal runaway.
Other suggestions to handle the risk include more safety inspections, something truckers argue would cause delays and create traffic backups, and requirements that batteries being transported be charged no more than 30%.
