California legislators are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to back off from a plan to ban combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles after two battery fires closed major interstates this summer, trapping motorists for hours and hindering interstate commerce.
“If one diesel truck carrying six batteries can shut down a major highway for 48 hours, what will happen when the highways are swarming with electric trucks powered by these batteries?” the lawmakers asked Newsom in the letter.
Public safety isn’t the lawmakers’ only concern, they said.
“With its sweeping requirements, many employers and residents in the state will be negatively impacted” by the mandate, they wrote.
Thousands of drivers in the north and south regions of the state were impacted by two major freeway shutdowns this summer.
The latest closure happened Monday on Interstate 80 near Emigrant Gap, about 19 miles northeast of Nevada City. A Tesla semi-truck caught fire at about 3:15 a.m. when the driver veered off the roadway and crashed into trees, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
A local unit of Cal Fire responded to the incident and reported the truck’s lithium-ion batteries were involved. The CHP closed I-80 until the toxic hazard could be contained. The fumes from the fire were an inhalation danger, according to a CHP spokesman.
The batteries reached about 1,000 degrees, according to CHP reports, and a hazardous materials team contracted by Tesla was called to the scene.
Responders kept the interstate closed until the batteries burned themselves out, decreasing to 100 degrees, which took about 13 hours.
The westbound lanes of the interstate were reopened at about 4:30 p.m., and the eastbound lanes at 7 p.m.
A semi-truck carrying lithium-ion batteries caught fire, shutting the freeway until early July 28 when traffic was allowed to resume.
Special crews responded to 80 calls from motorists during the two day incident who were caught behind the road closure. The crews coordinated delivery of essential supplies and medical aid, including delivering 100 gallons of diesel and 60 gallons of gasoline to stranded drivers.
CHP officers also completed a welfare check of every vehicle that was stuck on I-15 and nearby I-40 where some vehicles had been diverted, according to officials.
Lithium-ion batteries, used in electric vehicles, contain highly toxic and flammable materials, the lawmakers wrote in Tuesday’s letter.
“Unlike when a diesel truck catches fire, it is basically impossible to extinguish an electric vehicle fire,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is simply more catastrophic.”
The batteries in an electric truck can weigh up to 16,000 pounds, making the removal of a disabled truck from the roadway difficult, they added.
“So the road has to remain closed until it burns out,” they wrote in the letter. “The [San Bernardino] incident not only interrupted people’s travels and commerce—but could have endangered lives and livelihoods. The massive shutdown of a major California interstate illustrates that the State of California is not ready for your advanced Clean Fleets mandate.”
The governor will continue to work with agencies to make the transition with safety in mind, according to Newsom’s office.
“Our office continues to collaborate with relevant agencies and departments to ensure the state remains at the forefront of this rapidly evolving and innovative technology while prioritizing the safety of all Californians,” spokesman Daniel Villaseñor told The Epoch Times.
