Franklin, TN – An electric vehicle fire at Nissan Headquarters yesterday afternoon (09/05/2023) required a significant and extended response from the Franklin Fire Department.  Firefighters were dispatched at 4:42 PM to the parking lot of 1 Nissan Way.  According to Franklin Fire Marshal Andy King, the vehicle, a Nissan Leaf, had been charging on a Level 3 charger, the fastest charging device, when its lithium-ion battery cell overheated, went into a thermal runaway condition, and caught fire. He said firefighters applied water to cool the battery cell for several hours.  No damage occurred to the charger or other vehicles.

King said firefighters are accustomed to responding to conventional vehicle fires, which are typically extinguished with one engine and 500-1,000 gallons of water.  By contrast, this incident required an estimated 45,000 gallons of water, accessed from a nearby hydrant, and multiple units, including an engine, tower, battalion chief, rescue, hazmat, and an air response vehicle. 

King said, “All fire departments are struggling with lithium-ion battery fires because EVs often cannot be extinguished until the battery cell has released its energy.  If you think you’re having a problem with your electric vehicle, don’t continue to charge it.  Move it outside to a safe place away from buildings and other vehicles.  If it’s heating up or off-gassing – call the fire department immediately and if safe, try to move it to a safe area.”

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