Toronto, Ontario – A new product developed by WAI Europe may serve as an idea to aid collision repair facilities in avoiding fire risks from thermal runaway when charging electric vehicles.
The company has developed an EV charging cable with thermal cut-offs aiming to reduce electric vehicle fire risks.
Charging EVs often runs the risk of fire from the cord or plugs reaching high temperatures during prolonged use, which is when a charging cable with a built-in thermal switch may come in handy.
Richard Welland, president of WAI Europe, originally told the EV Report, “WAI cables will be the first in the market to have a thermal cut-off built in, ensuring that users can trust in the enhanced safety layer should high temperatures arise.”
WAI’s thermal cut-off switch activates when specific temperatures are reached, shutting off the charger to prevent electrical damage and fire, according to the EV Report. The charger then automatically restarts once cooled.
The cable works with multiple vehicles including Audi, BMW, Tesla, Jaguar, Kia and Hyundai.
WAI also suggests that having a thermal cut-off cable could also help mitigate liability from improper handling of customer’s vehicles by collision repair centres.
On top of the potentiality of a thermal cut-off cable, it is also important to have other such EV safety tools such as thermal imaging cameras, four-gas metres, vehicle fire blankets, fire retardants and overhead sprinklers on hand.
