A fire broke out at Rivian's Normal, Illinois factory last Saturday night and it led to some of its electric vehicles (EVs) suffering from damages as a result of the incident. The fire remains under investigation by authorities.
It has been reported that the fire started in the factory's parking lot and were contained there.
Rivian's Illinois Factory Sees Damages to EVs
that a fire broke out that authorities are still in the midst of investigating what caused the fire inn the parking lot. It has not been confirmed as of press time if the EVs themselves were the cause of the fire that broke out.
As previously mentioned, some of the EVs stationed at the parking lot sustained damages due to the fire. Rivian, as of press time, has yet to confirm the extent of both the fire and the damages incurred by its vehicles.
EV fires are massive hazards, especially for people who find themselve trapped inside during the fire. This is due to the lithium-ion (Li-On) batteries that can burn to extreme temperatures. These batteries are likewise difficult to extinguish using traditional methods.
More firefighters are now being trained to handle EV fires as these vehicles are becoming more common on the streets, particularly with the United States government's campaign towards the use of clean-energy vehicles.
Assembly Plant is 'Unaffected' by Rivian Fire Incident
It was also revealed by the local fire department and Rivian's spokesperson that the Illinois assembly plant of the EV company was "unaffected" by the recent blazing incident. It is an isolated case in the parking lot, and this may mean that operations will continue this week.
Moreover, there were no injuries or casualties caused by the Rivian factory fire, to both its employees and the firefighters who responded on the scene.
Electric Vehicle Fires Can Also Happen
It typically makes more sense for Internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to catch fire due to the presence of fuel and combustions. However, EVs are not exempted from such problems as well, especially during accidents. Not only can electrical wirings trigger fires, but there are also the highly flammable Li-On batteries that power everything in the vehicle.
However, these EV batteries are sealed and equipped with the right protection to avoid such incidents. That being said, accidents like crashes can cause a wide variety of hazards, as well as starting fires among electric vehicles.
Such problems are not limited to Rivian EVs. Tesla EVs, for example, have had its fair share of incidents and accidents. One incident involved its Model S "spontaneously combusted" in Sacramento last year, and the incident ended up closing down a part of EB Highway 50.
There were also previous incidents of overheating batteries that could cause it to catch fire. It can be recalled that GM's Chevrolet Bolt EV was previously recalled to avoid this. .
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