Officials warn that EVs could catch fire if inundated with saltwater from Hurricane Helene

Associated Press

Electric vehicle owners who live in the path of hurricanes should be wary of the risk their cars could catch fire if they are inundated by saltwater as the powerful storm moves ashore. There have been several instances of electric vehicles igniting after past hurricanes, so Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged EV owners to get their vehicles to higher ground before the storm hits. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been tracking this problem since the first instances of it were reported in October 2012 after Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast. The problem is that the salt that remains after the ocean water evaporates can conduct electricity and allow the batteries to short circuit and catch fire.