EV or hybrid Wading depth
Discussion
Come the floods does anyone know the safe wading depth ( other than none) of EVs or Hybrids?
The Leaf battery pack although it's low down looks pretty well sealed.
A Prius has the battery inside and gubbins under the bonnet above ground - but is it high enough?
How high flood water can you take your EV or Hybrid through? 12" 300mm should be ok but 18" 450mm? 24" 600mm?
If you do take it through too great a depth, does it just cut all the relays until it's safe, the depth has dropped or does it emit smoke and steam?
The Leaf battery pack although it's low down looks pretty well sealed.
A Prius has the battery inside and gubbins under the bonnet above ground - but is it high enough?
How high flood water can you take your EV or Hybrid through? 12" 300mm should be ok but 18" 450mm? 24" 600mm?
If you do take it through too great a depth, does it just cut all the relays until it's safe, the depth has dropped or does it emit smoke and steam?
Obviously EV's don't have air intakes for the engine (because they don't have an engine, duh!) so the max wading depth is really related to cabin ingress and the sealing capability of the electronics and components fitted to the car. Most HV connectors are rated at IP67 or IP68 and sometimes right out to IP69 IP-ratings
One of the nastiest things you can do to a large, hot battery is to dunk it into a large cold river, as the resulting pressure change really works the sealing system very hard indeed. Personally, i'd have no issue driving SLOWLY through really quite deep water in my i3, and the limiting factor, assuming you don't slam into the water at speed, is likely to be the cabin door seals leaking. I'd suggest a max depth of around 0.5m, which is actually pretty deep, and not that far off the depth at which a modern, well sealed car will float away (as several owners of modern 4x4s have found (old 4x4 sink like stones, but this means they can actually drive through very deep water....)
One of the nastiest things you can do to a large, hot battery is to dunk it into a large cold river, as the resulting pressure change really works the sealing system very hard indeed. Personally, i'd have no issue driving SLOWLY through really quite deep water in my i3, and the limiting factor, assuming you don't slam into the water at speed, is likely to be the cabin door seals leaking. I'd suggest a max depth of around 0.5m, which is actually pretty deep, and not that far off the depth at which a modern, well sealed car will float away (as several owners of modern 4x4s have found (old 4x4 sink like stones, but this means they can actually drive through very deep water....)
They missed a trick there - they could have charged to enable that via an over the air upgrade......
Joking aside, it makes sense really, the electrical components are going to need to be properly sealed for even normal use as water/moisture ingress would be very bad news at the voltages involved, so other than the additional hydrostatic pressure of total immersion, not much difference to driving on a very wet road at speed.
I agree about the thermal shock though - that would certainly test the seals.
Based on how many Merc C350e hybrids have had to have new charging leads due to water ingress, I don't think I'd want to go wading in mine. Plus the small matter of the ICE of course....
Joking aside, it makes sense really, the electrical components are going to need to be properly sealed for even normal use as water/moisture ingress would be very bad news at the voltages involved, so other than the additional hydrostatic pressure of total immersion, not much difference to driving on a very wet road at speed.
I agree about the thermal shock though - that would certainly test the seals.
Based on how many Merc C350e hybrids have had to have new charging leads due to water ingress, I don't think I'd want to go wading in mine. Plus the small matter of the ICE of course....
500mm for ipace
https://www.hotcars.com/2019-jaguar-i-pace-ev-feat...
400mm for outlander
http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php...
Zoe 80mm
http://myrenaultzoe.com/index.php/topic/wading-dep...
https://www.hotcars.com/2019-jaguar-i-pace-ev-feat...
400mm for outlander
http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php...
Zoe 80mm
http://myrenaultzoe.com/index.php/topic/wading-dep...
Edited by saaby93 on Sunday 16th June 06:59
saaby93 said:
500mm for ipace
https://www.hotcars.com/2019-jaguar-i-pace-ev-feat...
400mm for outlander
http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php...
Zoe 80mm
http://myrenaultzoe.com/index.php/topic/wading-dep...
I know it's an old thread, but the Outlanders handbook begs to differ - basically instructs you NOT to go wading due to the risk of damage to the hybrid system.https://www.hotcars.com/2019-jaguar-i-pace-ev-feat...
400mm for outlander
http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php...
Zoe 80mm
http://myrenaultzoe.com/index.php/topic/wading-dep...
Edited by saaby93 on Sunday 16th June 06:59
Hence why we didn't bother to replace ours after its lease expired...
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