BMW is notorious for locating the 12 volt batteries in the trunk. The 2013 BMW Z4 is no different. The Z4 also has stationary roll bars behind the seats. In addition to the standard airbag locations, the Z4 also has door mounted airbags. Take a quick look through the pictures below.
In yesterday’s webcast, Hidden Hazards inside a Vehicle I discussed how useful Moditech’s Crash Recovery System (CRS for short) on the scene of an extrication. I used the screenshot from CRS of the Chrysler 200 to show the battery location in the front fender on the driver side. However, the folks at Moditech took it a step further in CRS by providing instructions and pictures outline the 12V battery disconnection. Follow the pictures below and see how useful this piece of software is.
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The tiny Fiat 500 now has an EV model set to hit the streets in the spring of 2013. The 2013 Fiat 500e is rated at 108 Highway MPGe Rating and Class-Leading 87 miles of driving range on a full charge. The ERG is not out yet for the Fiat 500e, so keep your eye out. Make sure you also look at a post that covers the body structure of the Fiat 500.
Here is a quick look at a future Porsche, the Panamera Sport Turismo Hybrid. Porsche is now giving their plug-in hybrids the designation “e-hybrid.” This concept is a parallel hybrid, which means that the wheels can be driven by the electric motors, the gas engine, or both at the same time. When working together, the car produces 416 horsepower, enough to make it accelerate to 60 in under six seconds. So look for this one on the road soon.
Check out the Fisker Karma Body Structure and Battery location. You can find a bunch of useful information in the Fisker Automotive Emergency Response Guide and take a quick look at the Rescue Card below.
Sixteen battery-powered Fisker Karma automobiles self-combusted in New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy, apparently in an attempt to generate heat to warm up the electricity-less victims of the town of Port Newark, New Jersey. Surprised? The salt water storm surge got into the batteries.
Also take note of the gear shifter that is a push button style located on the center console.
Here’s a question for you, do know what “acoustic side windows” really means? If your a regular reader of the blog, you should quickly translate acoustic front windscreen and optional acoustic side windows made with multilayer glass technology to provide great noise insulation to laminated side glass. The image of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL below id from the Rescue card for passenger cars. Where’s the battery? How many batteries do you see? See both of them? labeled 1 and 2. Also take note of the suggested cut points. Mercedes-Benz provides extrication cut points that are away from airbag inflators and often are a place on the vehicle where the body structure is weaker.
Guidelines for rescue services are available in various languages as downloadable PDF files. Mercedes-Benz updates the guides below so the information in it is current to assist rescuers during an extrication. Here’s a great company drill or something to read through with your crew.
The automotive industry has changed the way first responders approach a motor vehicle accident compared to a decade ago. Air bags are standard equipment, pretensioners are used in second and third row seats, and the seats are starting to resemble a firefighter jet seat with the technology packed into a small package. Situational Awareness is the new catch phrase in the extrication world. First responders must be aware of hazards of a vehicle from bumper to bumper!
For years extrication trainers preached peel away the plastic interior trim to ensure an air bag gas inflator is not in the cut path. However, those days are long gone! What we need to start doing is a quick “trauma assessment” if you will on our vehicles before we make a cut to any pillar or roof structure. Once the interior trim is pulled off palpate any visible nylon air bag curtains close to the metal. Deployed gas inflators statistically do not pose a safety hazard if cut. However, the best stance to take is to never cut through a gas inflator because there is no method available to us to determine if the inflator is still charged.
Occupant sensors in the front seats are devices that measure the distance away from the steering wheel or dash and weigh the occupant to determine if the air bag should be deployed in a crash. Have you ever put your backpack on the passenger seat and notice that the “Air bag Off” light turns on? This is an example of the sensor weighing the load on the seat and determining that the occupant in the seat does not meet the minimum weight for the air bag to deploy in a crash.
Pretensioners
Seatbelt pretensioners tighten the belt a few inches to prevent the occupant from jerking forward in a crash. Pretensioners are mounted in two different methods, to the seat belt retractor located in a body pillar or on the seat structure. Front seat mounted pretensioners are typically mounted to the top of the seat adjustment track. Seat mounted pretensioners will moved the seatbelt buckle and not the seatbelt. A center console usually provides enough protection for first responders not to have to worry about any hazards from charged pretensioners.
Buckle mounted pretensioners uses gas stored in the tube to retract the buckle during certain crashes. Retractor mounted pretensioners like the TRW one in is set off by any electronically fired pyrotechnic charge which retracts the seatbelt by 80mm, which is more than three inches. During the earlier stages of a crash, the pretensioner removes excess slack in the seatbelt to begin effective occupant restraint.
Pretensioners are not reserved for front seat passengers. Many late vehicles like the Volvo have pretensioners in the rear seats. Pyrotechnic pretensioners in the rear seats can be buckle or retractor mounted. Many rear seats that are split into 60/40 seats have a metal tower that is thick and big that holds a high mounted seat belt retractor. This tower is located in the 60% seat or the larger of the two. If the seats are split up into 40/20/40 than the tower is located in the center or 20% seat.
Some vehicles have a pre-collision safety system that includes an electric motor-pyrotechnic pretensioner system. During a pre-collision event like extreme sudden hard braking, an electric motor in the pretensioners retracts the front seatbelts. Once the event stabilizes the electric motor will reverse itself. The pyrotechnic pretensioners function normally and separately from a motor-pyrotechnic pretensioner system.
Load limiting is a safety that is used to minimize belt-inflicted injuries. A basic load limiting feature is sewn into the belt webbing and stitches are designed to break when a certain load is applied to the belt. The belt extends when the stitches come apart and allow the sewn webbing to unfold. A mechanical load limiting device use
Air bags
Air bags entered the automotive market as an air bag in the driver’s steering wheel. In 2011 model year vehicles, 10 different air bags in per vehicle are no longer a feature reserved for expense luxury vehicles. Automakers proudly advertise air bags on the vehicle interior on the steering wheel, bash panel, and pillar trim panels.
Seat Air bags
Seat mounted air bags are not a new hazard facing first responders. The difference is in the size and numbers of air bags packaged in a 
seat are changing. Front seats can have two separate air bags to protect the occupant during a crash. This number is expected to increase when centered mounted seat air bags are used. Seat air bag are located along the outside of seat back frame and the bag is stored in a deflector called a “Taco” that directs the air bag when deployed.
Center Mounted Seat Air bag
General Motors has developed a front center air bag deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat and positions itself between the front row seats near the center of the vehicle. The tubular tethered air bag is designed to act as an energy absorbing cushion between driver and front passenger in side crashes. The air bag will also be deployed during a rollover. The center mounted seat air bag will be in the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse starting in the 2013 model year. Toyota developed a rear center console with an air bag that deploys between the rear passenger seats. Toyota has not put this air bag into production yet, but it is likely to make into a vehicle platform soon.
Side Air bags
Occupant ejection mitigation is new safety requirement that the automakers must meet by 2017. Side air bags and glazing of side window glass are the methods being tested and engineered into current model vehicles. These air bags will be large volume that can run from A-pillar to D-pillar. The 2011 Grand Caravan has a side impact air bag over nine feet long and is inflated by a stored gas inflator the size of a child’s lunchbox thermos and has over 10,000psi!
2011 Dodge Caravan Side Air bag
Knee Air bags
Knee air bags are typically located underneath the steering wheel on the angled portion of the instrument panel. The knee air bag module is a rectangle box easily package as a complete air bag systems with the gas inflator inside. This helps during installation at the auto plants and allows this system to be used in different vehicles.
Door Air bags
Many luxury auto makers have started installing door air bags. The air bags are typically installed in the center of the door.
Airbelts
The 2011 Ford Explorer was the first production vehicle to have inflatable rear seat belts. Ford plans to offer inflatable seat belt technology in vehicles globally in the future. What is important to remember is the airbelt requires a stored gas inflator store in the seat. A pioneering company, Moditech, provides current information on hazards inside and outside the vehicle. Moditech developed the Crash Recovery System (CRS) and the image below of the 2011 Ford Explorer.
Key Fobs
Keyless ignition is nothing new but many automakers are offering the features on their vehicles. Hyundai offers keyless ignition with a key fob or smart key that works on proximity. So how do you turn the car off if there is no key in the ignition? Most vehicles have a “Start” or “Power” button that is used to switch the ignition from off, to on, or to ACC. Make sure you the button indicator light is off. If you see a “READY-ON” light on the display the vehicle is started. This is very important with hybrid or electric vehicles because of the quiet operation. An important note, on some vehicles the “Power” button indicator light turns off when the vehicle is started. That is why it is important to make sure you do not see “READY-ON”!
Batteries
First responders are aware of hybrid and plug-in electric batteries inside of the passenger compartment. However, 12-volt batteries can also be found inside of the passenger compartment. For example, the GMC Acadia has the 12-volt battery located in the floor behind the front passenger seat.
Is that vehicle totaled?
Late model vehicles have dozens of safety systems that keep occupants safe during a crash or rollover. Just because the vehicle may look repairable does not necessarily mean it is. Plastic interior trim panels and seat covers are designed to rip or tear when air bags deploys. Seat structures are engineered to distribute the load of an occupant. Seatbelts can have rip stitching to absorb energy from the occupant. Pyrotechnic pretensioners are onetime use. Keep in mind that most of the time in a serious accident the glass is already broken out and the windshield typically has spider marks from the air bags or occupants. Never let the fear of “totaling” a vehicle compromise patient care. Just remember all the hazards mentioned in this article are real and in vehicles.
The 2012 Dodge Challenger is available in three models and rides on a shortened version of the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 platform. One important note is the the Challenger is from four-door architecture on the L-platform which was shortened to a two-door. Keep in mind that the C-Pillar of this vehicle is very large and has the roof curtain airbag inflators located in the C-Pillar as seen in the screenshot below from Moditech’s Crash Recovery System (CRS).
UPS operates alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil, the UK and Hong Kong. Eight different alternative fuel options are used by UPS; compressed natural Gas, propane, hybrid-electric vehicles, all-electric vehicles, LNG, ethanol-powered delivery vehicles (in Brazil), and liquefied petroleum (in Korea).
UPS has always been a leader in developing and deploying alternative fuel vehicles. The LNG tractors currently make a round trip from LA to Las Vegas and with a new LNG fueling station in Salt Lake City look for my trucks on the roads.
Since UPS started tracking miles driven by its AFV in 2000, the company’s “green fleet” has logged over 200 million miles. That’s the equivalent of nearly three round trips to Mars or circling the Earth more than 8,600 times. UPS estimates that its AFV (1,900+ and growing) will drive the next 200 million miles by 2017. Read on for more on five innovative technologies that have helped UPS hit this exciting milestone.
How does the HHV work?
UPS deployed 45 ethanol-powered delivery vehicles in Brazil.
Looking at the pictures, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? I hope one quick thought will make a light go one!
New Jersey highway officials say two cars were involved in an accident at a Garden State Parkway toll plaza that resulted in a car hitting a toll booth and bursting into flames. State Police Sgt. Brian Polite says a Toyota Prius driven by 86-year-old Ralph Schiller of Fort Lee was approaching the Bergen Toll Plaza in Saddle Brook around 3:30 p.m., when it side-swiped a Honda Accord driven by Kristie Frost of Pasadena, Md. Police say Schiller’s car continued forward and struck a barrier and a toll booth, and the booth and car both caught fire.
Below are a few key instructions from the Toyota Prius Hybrid Emergency Response Guide:
Normally, flooding an NiMH HV battery pack with copious amounts of water at a safe distance will effectively control the HV battery pack fire by cooling the adjacent NiMH battery modules to a point below their ignition temperature. The remaining modules on fire, if not extinguished by the water, will burn themselves out. However, flooding the PRIUS c HV battery pack is not recommended due to the battery case design and location preventing the responder from properly applying water through the available vent openings safely. Therefore, it is recommended that the incident commander allow the PRIUS c HV battery pack to burn itself out.
If the decision has been made to fight the fire using a defensive attack, the fire attack crew should pull back a safe distance and allow the NiMH battery modules to burn them selves out. During this defensive operation, fire crews may utilize a water stream or fog pattern to protect exposures or to control the path of smoke.
When allowed to burn themselves out, the PRIUS c NiMH battery modules burn rapidly and can quickly be reduced to ashes except for the metal.
Nearly every Emergency Response Guide that the automakers published is available for download on our Emergency Response Guides/ page.
So just how many plug-in electric cars are expected to be sold in the U.S. in 2012? (This doesn’t include hybrid vehicle) Last year in the U.S., just under 18,000 electric plug-in cars were sold. Halfway through 2012, here are the projections for the whole year:
| Chevrolet: | 20,000 |
| Nissan: | 15,000 |
| Toyota: | 14,600 |
| Ford: | 3,000 |
| Tesla: | 5,000 |
| BMW: | 700 |
| Mitsubishi: | 1,000 |
| Coda: | 1,000 |
| Honda: | 1,100 |
| Fisker: | 1,000 |
| TOTAL: | 62,400 |
That would easily more than triple the 2011 sales level, but still constitute just under half of 1% of the total U.S. car market in 2012. It would take 140,000 electric plug-in vehicles to make 1% 0f the 2012 U.S. car market. Check out the article on TheStreet.com; 2012 Electric Car Sales Forecast that breaks down the different models per automaker. You can also look at Top 10 Electric Car Makers on CleanFleetReport.com.
If you include hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles the number of vehicles sold increase!
Leave it up to the automakers to have new names for the different types of Hybrid and electric vehicles.
Keep in mind that the hybrid and electric vehicle market closely follows gas prices. When gas prices fall, so do the sales of hybrid and electric vehicles. This demonstrates that while there is consumer interest in hybrid and electric vehicles, demand is heavily influenced by the economic environment, rather than pure interest in the technology. Hybrid and electric vehicle sales are expected to account for 3.2 percent of total light-vehicle in 2012.
Just because the Jeep Wrangler has a removable soft-top and/or hardtop doesn’t mean this vehicle is cut and dry sample for an extrication. Well, there is nothing out of the ordinary. The Jeep Wrangler is a body-on-frame construction and the sport bar (roll-bar) uses high-strength steel and is integrated into the B-Pillar that runs into the floor. Very minimal airbags with standard front multistage and optional seat airbags.
Keep in mind that Jeep Wranglers owners like to customize and change their vehicles. Don’t be surprised if you encounter additional batteries to supply power to items like off-road lights. You never know what changes have been made! Remember your situational awareness and expect the unexpected!
Below is a screenshot from Moditech‘s Crash Recovery System (CRS).
Moditech is one company that pays it forward for the good of the fire service. The company releases a quarter newsletters that highlight certain changes or trends in the automotive industry. This quarter’s newsletter was just released and has a few interesting technologies that we all need to look out for.
Start-stop systems, auxiliary batteries, and ultra-capacitors oh my! The folks at Moditech (makers of Crash Recovery System) take use through some very useful information.
Ultra-capacitors, shown in the red box above located behind the fender are able to store a hundred times more energy than a conventional capacitor and at least ten times more than a 12 volt battery with a high service life of a million charge cycles. Read the complete newsletter to learn why what is inside the ultra-capacitors that rescuers should keep in mind.
The NFPA just released a Emergency Field Guide for sale. The price is modest at $45 for a print copy. I like to see extrication field guides hitting the market. There’s a pocket electric/ hybrid guide getting ready to be released soon. A lot of rescuers still like to have a printed copy in their hands to flip through. Hopefully, I can get a copy yo review and provide a complete review. In the mean time, here’s what the NFPA has to say about it.
Respond to electric and hybrid vehicle incidents involving damaged high voltage batteries, battery fires, submersion and charging stations with NFPA’s full-color Electric Vehicle Emergency Field Guide, 2012 Edition. It’s packed with color visuals and technical data reviewed by the auto manufacturers!
Learn about everything from vehicle immobilization to disabling high-voltage and SRS systems, conducting safe extrication cuts, and executing vehicle recovery and disposal. The hands-on EV Emergency Field Guide covers:
The Emergency Field Guide is updated as technology changes, so make sure you have the latest!
Compact, spiralbound, and organized for easy access to information, the Electric Vehicle Emergency Field Guide is essential for fire and rescue personnel, EMS technicians, law enforcement, and towing/recovery professionals. Stay safe and be prepared to respond — order today. (Spiralbound, Approx. 145 pp., 2012 Volume 1)
I’m sure everyone has seen FedEx’s where the Navistar eStar is driven through the Enchanted Forest commercial. So lets take a look at the eStar and what rescuers need to known about this vehicle. With a range of around 100 miles, expect to see the eStar in cities like San Francisco. Navistar has an eStar First Responder Guide availible, so make sure you read through it.
High Voltage Service Key
The high voltage service key (1) is located behind the passenger seat, under a plastic cover.
Tools are required to remove this cover. This key can be turned in a counter-clockwise
direction and removed. High voltage will be active for approximately 10 minutes after the
key is removed.
High Voltage Safety Cut Off Button
The high voltage safety cut off button (1) is located on the left side of the driver’s seat near the window in front of the gear selector. Pushing down on the switch disconnects the drivetrain and high voltage battery.
The switch is visible from outside the driver’s side window as seen below. The driver’s side window must be broken out to access high voltage safety cut off button (1).
A few key pieces of info:
If you noticed in the title’s question – Where’s the High-Voltage Service Disconnects - that disconnects is plural than you understand that the 2012 Ford Focus Electric has more than one! The Electric Focus has an upper battery and lower battery service disconnect, so it also has two High Voltage Batteries. Both are removed in the same fashion. However, to gain access to the lower battery high-voltage service disconnect, the 2012 Ford Focus Electric Emergency Response Guide tells you to raise the rear of the vehicle using a suitable jack. Scratching your head yet? I am! Not too sure how we are going to access the lower disconnect. Make sure you review the ERG and the pictures at the bottom of this post that show both disconnects. Stay safe out there!
| # | COMPONENT | DESCRIPTION/LOCATION | FUNCTION |
| 1 | High-Voltage Service Disconnects | Upper disconnect is located behind the rear seatback. Lower disconnect is below the upper pack near the right hand rear tire. Orange in color with a square body design. Uses a two stage release tab. |
Provides means to disconnect high-voltage batteries for safely servicing vehicle. |
| 2 | High-Voltage Battery | Located behind the rear seatback and under vehicle. Liquid cooled/heated lithium ion. | Provides high-voltage storage for vehicle’s electric motor. |
| 3 | High-Voltage Wiring | Runs along the vehicle’s floorpan from the high-voltage battery to the underhood compartment.
All high-voltage wiring has |
Provides physical connection between high-voltage battery and vehicle’s high-voltage equipment. |
| 4 | 12-Volt Battery | Located under the hood on the driver side of the vehicle.
Typical automotive 6-cell lead/acid design. |
Provides 12-volts for vehicle accessories. |
| 5 | Single Speed Automatic Transmission (Gearbox) | Transverse-mounted design, similar to the non-Electric Focus vehicles.
Attached to the traction motor |
Provides rotational force to the wheels for vehicle propulsion. |
| 6 | DC/DC Converter | Located under the hood on the passenger side, next to the washer solvent reservoir.
Has orange high-voltage wires |
Provides 12 volts to charge the 12-volt battery and run vehicle accessories. |
| 7 | Electric Motor | Liquid cooled 3-phase AC permanent magnet motor.
Attached to gearbox,centrally located in the engine compartment. |
Turns energy from the high-voltage traction battery into movement that is applied to the transmission for vehicle propulsion. |
| 8 | Transmission Control Module (TCM) |
Module located on top of the electric motor.
Hall effect sensor type module. |
The TCM controls the motor/ inverters to produce the desired torque output to the wheels. |
| 9 | Electric Air Conditioning Compressor | Located in front of the motor.
Has an orange high-voltage wire attached to it using an interlock connector. |
Replaces the belt driven air compressor. |
| 10 | PTC Heater (Cabin CoolantHeater) | Located on the RH side of the motor near the DC/DC converter.
Has both low and high voltage electrical connections. |
Used to raise the temperature of the coolant to normal operating temperature |
Upper HV Battery Disconnect
Lower HV Battery Disconnect
The 2013 Ford Towing Guide is available online and has some good information that we can use while we await the release of the 2013 Emergency Response Guide (ERG).
Focus Electric Battery and High Voltage Service Disconnect Locations
Fusion Hybrid Battery and High Voltage Service Disconnect Locations
C-Max Hybrid Battery and High Voltage Service Disconnect Locations
The GMC Acadia, Chevy Traverse, and the Buick Enclave share the same vehicle platform. The battery location is behind the passenger seat under the floor. Also be on the look out during the fall of 2012 for the 2013 models. The 2013 models will have a center seat airbag in the driver seat that deploys to protect the driver and the passenger from each other.
2012 Chevrolet Traverse Body Structure
2008 Chevrolet Traverse Side Impact Crash
2008 GMC Acadia Front Offset Crash Test
2008 GMC Acadia Front Offset Crash Test
Buick Enclave Left and Right Roof Curtain Air Bags
Here are several posts on this vehicle platform:
Yet another electric vehicle on the road! CODA Automotive re-engineered an existing gasoline-powered vehicle, the Chinese Hafei Saibao. The CODA is a rolling-chassis Chinese sedan with some Chinese-made lithium-ion cells that are installed along with the drivetrain in California. CODA Automotive is a privately held company headquartered in Southern California that designs, manufactures and sells electric vehicles and lithium-ion battery systems, purpose-built for transportation and utility applications.
AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power, added the CODA sedan to their fleet and will use the vehicle on their gridSMART® Demonstration Project, located in the northeastern part of Central Ohio.
Below are the 2012 Dodge Avenger body structure and airbags. Also take note of the location of the 12 volt battery. The Avenger also has double-laminated glass on the front doors and windshield. Another safety feature are the active front head restraints move forward and upward during a rear-end collision to decrease the space between the headrest and head, helping reduce the risk of head and spinal injuries.
First look at the 2013 Toyota Yaris Hybrid.
Mercedes-Benz has a 526 horsepower electric drivetrain in the upcoming SLS AMG E-Cell supercar. Power for the E-Cell will be provided by four electric motors. The E-Cell employs a permanent all-wheel drive system which is powered by a 400-volt battery made up of 12 modules of 72 lithium-ion polymer cells. The battery is housed in within the carbon fiber transmission tunnel, which is structurally integrated into the E-Cell’s aluminum body shell. This is a 2013 model year vehicle expected to hit the roads in the fall of 2012.
Just like the 2012 Buick LaCrosse, the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco shares the same hybrid style system.
Buick Emergency Response Guides:
The Chevrolet Malibu Eco vehicles are front-wheel drive, five passenger vehicles with a lightly electrified gasoline engine. The eAssist system utilizes a high voltage battery, located in the trunk, as a supplemental power source. The system assists the engine utilizing a high torque belt-driven starter / generator.
The eAssist system features a 130 volt lithium-ion battery, which provides electrical energy to the starter / generator. The high voltage battery assembly is located in the trunk behind the rear passenger seats. The assembly includes several internal components that operate together to provide and control the high voltage for the eAssist system.
There are two separate electrical systems within the eAssist vehicles: low voltage (12 V) and high voltage (130 V). The low voltage system is similar to a conventional vehicle.
Do NOT cut the:
The Chevrolet Malibu Eco is designed to protect the occupants during a collision. The body structure contains high strength steel; this is highlighted in blue. The occupants are protected from front, rear, and side impacts by a structural cage created by the underlying vehicle structural design. Additional crumple zones protect the occupant with front, side, and rear rails that are designed to crush in a crash.
Cut through the low voltage cables on each side of the yellow labels to remove a section of the cable to ensure the cables cannot inadvertently reconnect.
Make sure you read thru the Emergency Response Guides below:
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