Cars packing electric motors solve many of the issues of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. Unfortunately, fire-related problems are not among the matters that are left behind, at least not with the current Li-Ion battery technology. So when a BMW i8 recently caught fire, the emergency responders used special precautions to ensure the problem didn't escalate.
According to the fire department in Tilburg, Netherlands, the i8 we have here started smoking while it was inside a dealership. As you can expect, people panicked and once the profesionists showed up, an extreme decision was taken.
To be more precise, the i8 was dropped into a water tank, with this possibly also containing other substances, with the aim being to prevent the battery of the vehicle from exploding.
A few photos of the event were shared on Facebook yesterday, with this coming from the said fire brigade. And it seems that the plan was to keep the poor BMW submerged for 24 hours - make sure to check out the images in the gallery above.
We're not sure what bits of the hybrid sportscar will be reusable once the car is removed from the said tank, but we wouldn't hold our breath for its return to the road.
On a more joyful note, some of you might want to know more about the driving experience delivered by the gas-electric Bimmer. Well, you can read all about that in our BMW i8 review.
To be more precise, the i8 was dropped into a water tank, with this possibly also containing other substances, with the aim being to prevent the battery of the vehicle from exploding.
A few photos of the event were shared on Facebook yesterday, with this coming from the said fire brigade. And it seems that the plan was to keep the poor BMW submerged for 24 hours - make sure to check out the images in the gallery above.
We're not sure what bits of the hybrid sportscar will be reusable once the car is removed from the said tank, but we wouldn't hold our breath for its return to the road.
Nobody was injured in the BMW i8 fire
Perhaps the only positive side of this story is that there were no reported injuries, with the loss of the i8 being the only consequence of the fire. And since car showrooms have the kind of insurance policies that cover such disasters, the financial side of the problem should be kept under control.On a more joyful note, some of you might want to know more about the driving experience delivered by the gas-electric Bimmer. Well, you can read all about that in our BMW i8 review.