We learned how to very safely handle big tanks of extremely flammable fluids with explosive volatile vapors. We also learned how to deal with a system that pipes extremely explosive flammable gas into millions of homes, and outlets with high voltage electricity everywhere. We'll learn how to handle these too.
Nothing capable of powering modern society or transport is going to be made of unicorn glitter. Stored energy is stored energy and there are always dangers with it.
I am curious if Tesla's batteries have had more fire issues or if they're just reported more because it's Tesla and that makes it click bait.
I think a bit of both. Tesla is right at the edge of the current capabilities in terms of storage density so it is kind of logical that they would be the ones to find out the hard way what the real physical limits are with respect to handling and safety, and they are also the system that is the most widely deployed. On top of that anything Tesla is automatically newsworthy.
The most practical suggestion about how to deal with the problem that I've seen pass by is to ensure a certain minimum spacing between packs to create 'fire breaks' beyond which one pack can not ignite the next one over, but this would waste rather a large amount of space and probably would not work in situations like parking lots and such.
Yeah, I believe the best handling procedures for a big tank of extremely flammable fluids with explosive volatile vapours that is sitting in a fire[0] is to run away - a long way away. Sure, put out the fire and cool down the tank too, if you can do that from a long way away.
Nothing capable of powering modern society or transport is going to be made of unicorn glitter. Stored energy is stored energy and there are always dangers with it.
I am curious if Tesla's batteries have had more fire issues or if they're just reported more because it's Tesla and that makes it click bait.