E-mobility can instill fear in many people, and some people have reservations about the technology and are afraid of electric shocks or fire. The Malteser of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising have therefore created an e-learning course on the subject of first aid and e-mobility, as participants have repeatedly expressed their reservations about the technology in courses. Since participation in these courses is a prerequisite for obtaining a driver’s license, topics such as rescuing people from cars after accidents are also dealt with there.
Felix Höpfl is the Training Officer for the Malteser Church in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.
(Photo: Malteser Hilfsdienst/private)
Felix Höpfl, training officer at Malteser Bayern, explains what fears participants have when they have an accident with an electric car: “On the one hand, there is the fear of electric shock when touching the metal body and, on the other hand, there is the fear of the electric car exploding due to damage on the battery.” The fears of the participants are primarily based on gut feelings and not on facts, Höpfl continues. “Many have reservations about electricity because you can’t see it, you can’t smell it and you know it’s dangerous,” says the Malteser speaker.
In the “First Aid and E-Mobility” e-learning course, participants learn that these fears are unfounded. After a short unit on recognizing e-cars, the specific dangers of accidents with e-cars are discussed. In fact, there are risks here that differentiate cars with electric drives from those with internal combustion engines. In what is known as “thermal runaway”, a chain reaction in the electric car’s battery, for example, a thermal reaction occurs that lasts for a long period of time.
Putting out burning e-cars takes more time
Therefore, extinguishing burning EVs requires more time and water than extinguishing combustion engine cars. Despite these specific dangers, the Malteser estimates that the general risk of fire in electric cars is just as low as in conventionally powered cars. According to Maltesern, the fear of an electric shock is also unfounded, since the high-voltage system of the e-cars is immediately switched off by the crash sensors in the event of an accident.
The ADAC comes to the same assessment as the Maltese, citing crash tests carried out independently and tests by Euro NCAP, a company of European transport ministries, automobile clubs and insurance associations. “Compared to conventionally powered cars, the safety of electric cars is often even better because of the optimized crash structure in the vehicle,” says the ADAC website. According to this, first aid for e-cars is possible without an increased risk to oneself.
Felix Höpfl from Malteser also has another tip for owners of e-cars: “Maintain and charge the vehicle properly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. In addition, the rescue card should always be kept under the windshield.” Rescue cards are available for different car models. They contain information for rescue workers, such as where on the car they can use spreaders and scissors or where the battery and fuel tank are located.
So far, the e-learning course has not been used as often as initially expected, says Höpfl. Apparently it is enough to tell the participants that there is a course in which they learn that electric cars are no more dangerous than other cars in the event of a breakdown. In any case, the Malteser speaker considers the need for courses on the subject of e-mobility to be a contemporary phenomenon. “If electromobility becomes more and more popular and everyone has ever sat in an electric car, then the issue of fears will probably go away,” says Höpfl.