Can electric cars really be used as boats when wading through water? Travel | Vehicles | Electric Vehicles
Recently, it has been raining heavily in the afternoon in Hangzhou and other places, making travel a bit difficult for everyone.
On July 22, rainstorm orange warning was issued in Hangzhou, and short-time rainstorm occurred in some areas. According to the statistics of an insurance company, as of 17:00 on the 23rd, 165 vehicles had been reported by Fuyang rainstorm Automobile Insurance for wading, with an estimated loss of 5 million yuan.
Chen Gang's family lives in Dingqiao. When he drove through the tunnel under Dinglan Road, he found that the accumulated water was constantly rising, and several cars were parked one after another, afraid to drive forward. He drives an electric car. Previously, he heard the manufacturer promote that waterproof performance is better than gasoline cars, and even watched videos of electric cars being driven like boats. So he boldly drove forward slowly and finally passed through without any danger. Is electric cars really safer than gasoline cars when it comes to wading in water?
Electric vehicles have clear requirements for water safety
For gasoline powered vehicles, wading in water can cause the engine to shut down after water ingress. If restarted, it can cause damage to the engine. When electric vehicles are involved in water, the most important thing to pay attention to is the battery. The high-voltage system of electric vehicles is around 400 volts, far exceeding the range of human safety voltage. Once problems occur, it will endanger the safety of drivers and passengers.
In order to ensure the safety of electric vehicles, relevant departments have formulated a series of safety admission standards.
Among them, the State Administration for Market Regulation has issued the "Safety Requirements and Test Methods for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles", which clearly requires that the battery cells of new energy vehicle power batteries must be soaked for two hours in a more corrosive solution containing 3.5% sodium chloride when fully charged. During this period, it is required that the battery pack can be used normally without any fire or explosion.
According to a survey by Chao News reporters, most new energy vehicle battery casings on the market have a protection level of IP67 against foreign object intrusion, and some models can reach the highest level of IP68, which can ensure the safety of the power battery when electric vehicles are involved in water to the greatest extent possible.
In addition to the external protective structures of batteries and motors, most electric vehicles have also been equipped with several sets of safety protection devices during production. The instrument information will display whether the vehicle is in a leakage or insulation state to prevent electric shock for the owner.
Driving a car like a boat? Don't be misled by the video
Consumers often pay attention to safety issues when buying a car, and waterproof performance has become a major highlight of electric vehicle companies promoting their products. Some car companies promote that their cars can still be used normally after being soaked in water for 12 hours, while others post videos of car owners driving rapidly in deep water on social media platforms. Can electric vehicles really move forward when wading in water?
"In theory, electric vehicles do have stronger water wading capabilities than gasoline vehicles. However, after a few years of use, frequent bumps in the battery inside the car will gradually reduce the sealing performance, and in addition, the waterproof ability of the battery will decrease due to material aging." Zhang Xiang, an automotive industry analyst and visiting professor at the Yellow River University of Science and Technology, said in an interview with Chao News reporters that when facing deep-water roads, car owners should not wade recklessly to avoid causing vehicle safety issues. "When a gasoline vehicle wades in water, it can at most cause engine damage. If the battery of an electric vehicle wades in water, it can cause dangerous situations such as fire and electric shock."
In addition, if the vehicle is waded too deeply, the low-voltage electrical system that controls functions such as doors and lights may also malfunction, resulting in the inability to use related functions.
A car after-sales maintenance personnel told Chao News reporters that if an electric car is submerged in water more than half of the tires, it is best to go to a 4S store for inspection and repair to ensure that key parts such as the battery are not damaged, in order to prevent problems with the vehicle.
Can insurance be paid after being involved in water?
In December 2021, the China Insurance Industry Association released the "Exclusive Provisions for Commercial Insurance of New Energy Vehicles", which included the "three electricity" of new energy vehicles in the scope of protection, covering the usage scenarios of new energy vehicle driving, parking, charging, and operation.
"After the comprehensive reform of car insurance, the six additional types of insurance that originally needed to be purchased separately, including water related insurance, spontaneous combustion insurance, theft and rescue insurance, and glass insurance, were unified as car damage insurance. New energy vehicles causing car damage due to water related accidents have similar claims as gasoline vehicles. As long as car owners purchase car damage insurance and meet the terms of water related accidents, they can obtain claims." PICC Car Insurance customer service told Chao News reporters.
It is worth noting that the "Provisions" have added additional external power grid failure loss insurance for new energy vehicles. After the owner purchases the insurance, direct losses caused by external power grid failures during the charging process of new energy vehicles can also be compensated through insurance.
