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Comment by brador | Hacker News Reader

Why not separate the driver compartment from the battery packs using a fireproof wall? Or surround the batteries in a fireproof "box" with a vent? Or add a gas based fire damping system like data centres use?

Battery bursting into flames, destroying the whole car and putting the driver and passengers at risk just seems so archaic.

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One misfeature of most "lithium ion" cells is that their cathodes produce oxygen under high temperatures. One very good reason for Segway (e.g.) to use lithium-iron-phosphate cells - they're far less likely to burn, though their power density suffers over conventional cells.

The navy used to use this thing called asbestos to do just that. Then people complained about safety and the good times came to an end. Ironic how you're basically asking for something to do what asbestos was good at for a safety application.

Whoever creates a material with similar properties and cost to asbestos without all the cancer will become very wealthy.

Fireproof barriers are mostly just meant to give the driver time to exit. When there's a lot of fuel burning there's not much one can do except try and redirect the fire away from harming the people inside it. Eventually they give or the fire bypasses it by heating up other parts of the car and causing those to combust.

I was pretty sure there is a ceramic barrier or something along those lines.

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