MalahatTwo7
05-04-2004, 11:40 AM
I spent a fair amount of time about 2 yrs ago trying to get manufacturer information regarding this topic, from Ford, GM, Mercedes and Chrysler, to no avial. Ron Moore was the only one who was able to provide any information, and that was related to Honda and Toyota.
May 4, 9:54 AM EDT
Rescue Workers Say Hybrid Cars a Danger
By PATRICK WALTERS Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The growing popularity of hybrid vehicles is a step toward cleaner air and less dependence on gasoline. But for rescuers at accident scenes, they represent a potential new danger: a network of high-voltage circuitry that may require some precise cutting to save a trapped victim.
"You don't want to go crushing anything with hydraulic tools," said Samuel Caroluzzi, an assistant chief with the Norristown Fire Department outside Philadelphia. "It's enough to kill you from what they're telling us in training."
Hybrids draw power from two sources, typically a gas or diesel engine combined with an electric motor. The battery powering the electric motor carries as much as 500 volts, more than 40 times the strength of a standard battery.
That worries those who must cut into cars to rescue people inside.
"If you can't shut it down, you don't know where the high voltage is," said David Dalrymple, an emergency medical technician in New Brunswick, N.J.
This give a whole new meaning to "rip 'n strip".
May 4, 9:54 AM EDT
Rescue Workers Say Hybrid Cars a Danger
By PATRICK WALTERS Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The growing popularity of hybrid vehicles is a step toward cleaner air and less dependence on gasoline. But for rescuers at accident scenes, they represent a potential new danger: a network of high-voltage circuitry that may require some precise cutting to save a trapped victim.
"You don't want to go crushing anything with hydraulic tools," said Samuel Caroluzzi, an assistant chief with the Norristown Fire Department outside Philadelphia. "It's enough to kill you from what they're telling us in training."
Hybrids draw power from two sources, typically a gas or diesel engine combined with an electric motor. The battery powering the electric motor carries as much as 500 volts, more than 40 times the strength of a standard battery.
That worries those who must cut into cars to rescue people inside.
"If you can't shut it down, you don't know where the high voltage is," said David Dalrymple, an emergency medical technician in New Brunswick, N.J.
This give a whole new meaning to "rip 'n strip".