California Gavin Newsom recently told CNN that wildfire debris removal is more complicated due to electric vehicle (EV) batteries and vehicle technology such as Tesla at home chargers. 

A news release from his office also mentions batteries from conventional and EVs is a part of the most complex phase of debris removal. The release also mentions paint, ammunition, pesticides and propane tanks as hazardous waste that is complex to remove. 

“While the state has extensive experience with clearing cars with combustion engines, cleanup teams are still adapting to newer technologies like Tesla and other lithium-ion batteries, which can pose distinct risks when exposed to high heat from fires,” the release says. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is assisting with the removal of battery debris in California, due to previous experience during the 2023 Maui Fire, the release says. 

According to the EPA’s website, it removed more than 30 tons of lithium batteries from 94 electric and hybrid vehicles during cleanup of the Maui Fire. It also said 274 power walls were collected and shipped for recycling. 

Conrad Layson, a senior analyst at AutoForecast Solutions, told Automotive News that the prevalence of EVs in California poses a challenge for first responders. 

Newsom’s office announced in November that the state surpassed 2 million electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen powered vehicles sold across the state. California has long lead the nation in EV sales. However, a recent study from NESCAUM showed Colorado passing California in EV sales during Q3 2024. 

Layson told Automotive News that he’s unaware of a standard operating procedure for handling partially or fully combusted battery packs. 

“The disposal of a burned out EV is not as straightforward as it is for current ICE vehicles, especially one that’s already been involved in an ignition event,” Layson said in the article. 

The L.A. Times also reports that the wildfires have raised some EV concerns for consumers. 

“You’ve plugged your electric vehicle into your home charger and hit the sack. Overnight, high winds topple a power line. Your charger blacks out. Then, a report of a fire, followed by an evacuation order. Your battery’s only charged to 25%. And it’s your only car,” the article starts. “Such are the fears some California car buyers are expressing amid the fires that have devastated Los Angeles County and forced people to evacuate their homes at a moment’s notice.”

EV owners told the newspaper that they were limited on the routes that they could use to evacuate and that lines were longer at EV stations than at gasoline stations. 

Val Cipollone, of wooded hills, said she plans to sell her Nissan Leaf for a hybrid vehicle because of its limited mile range. 

“Who knows how far you’d have to drive” after a disaster, she said. “I used to think I’d only need to drive to my place of work. But, who knows, I might have to go much farther.”

Forty-six percent of current electric vehicle (EV) owners in the United States told McKinsey & Co. they would likely switch back to an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle during the firm’s 2024 Mobility Consumer Global Survey. 

Globally, 29% of EV owners are considering switching back to ICE, the survey results show. 

Thirty-five percent of respondents said an inadequate charging infrastructure was one reason they wanted to switch. Other top answers included total costs of ownership and too much impact on long-distance trips. 

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