Quote:
Originally Posted by mattr
TBH, if LiPos were really that dangerous and likely to explode at the drop of a hat, do you really think the most litigation happy country in the world would let people drive round with 30-100 kilos of them in the back of their cars? (Around 200kg for the full electric vehicles, tesla and so on)
No.
Cos they only tend to explode when abused or damaged. So auto manufacturers spend a proper fortune making sure they *can't* be abused and providing armoured casings so they can't be damaged.
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Not quite the best comparison. LiPos in the Tesla are the standard 18650 type that are contained in a metal shell not unlike the NiMh/NiCad batteries of old. Those have built-in relief valves and although failures are rare, they are contained.
Agreed, all batteries in electric cars are contained in a *cough* strong box (!) but nonetheless it is nothing like the LiPo cells we use with no fire-proof, reinforced container holding the cell.
Also remember that LiPo are the cells Boeing use in the 787 and have been the subject of a number of incidents over the last two years. All have been contained by the strong metal box the cells are in, but why have had more than their share of issues compared to the number in service? Is it that they haven't got the chargers sorted? Airbus have stayed with NiMh cells...
Nonetheless, in that litigious country you refer to, they happily sell RC Lipos and allow them to be shipped by air from China and fly them over their land. As you say, if they were that bad...