German rescue teams tested
the carbon-fiber-cell of the BMW i3
How safe is the
BMW i3 in the worst scenario
of a crash or other incidents? With the i3’s carbon passenger
cell, the electric car
is not only made of an exceptionally lightweight structure, but also an
exceptionally robust chassis.
But how easy is it to free BMW
i3 occupants after a serious accident?
A test
conducted by ADAC and fire departments has shown that the light materials made
of carbon fibers prove difficult for the rescue teams. This is due to the fact
of carbon fiber behaving differently than the metals used in the making of cars
in the past.
Dust in released in the air as
the crew cut though the carbon fiber which the rescuers and car occupants must
avoid inhaling small particles. To Avoid the inhalation, rescuers and occupants
must breath through a dust mask.
When cutting through the carbon
fiber panels, dust is also released in the air and in order to avoid inhalation
of small particles, the rescuers and occupants have to breathe through a dust
mask.
The electric
drivetrain also plays an important role during the rescue operations since it
brings the potential risk of high-voltage discharge. The rescuers need to know
ahead of time where the separation point is located.
The
overall conclusion of the ADCD study is that the passengers sand driver in an
i3 can be saved just as fast as any other BMW car.
The ACDC have recommended that
every driver of an i3 should download and print out a coloured copy of the
rescue card which you should then place in your car.
Having a visible rescue card
will speed up the process and potentially save lives.
By Millie Davis
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