[Rickev]

I'm new to this forum having ordered a Kia e-Niro for delivery in June/July.
With the recent storms leading to deep puddles across the rural roads where I live, I have wondered whether this has an impact on battery vehicles with regard to safety or reliability. With climate heating, we are likely to experience increasing extreme wet weather events. Has anyone had any problems relating to water damage with their EV or does anyone know how batteries and electrical systems are built to prevent problems in EVs?

 

[teepee]

I'm new to this forum having ordered a Kia e-Niro for delivery in June/July.
With the recent storms leading to deep puddles across the rural roads where I live, I have wondered whether this has an impact on battery vehicles with regard to safety or reliability. With climate heating, we are likely to experience increasing extreme wet weather events. Has anyone had any problems relating to water damage with their EV or does anyone know how batteries and electrical systems are built to prevent problems in EVs?

Have a look at this - MG ZS driven through a couple of floods.....

 

[mikegs]

how batteries and electrical systems are built to prevent problems in EVs?

They all have relevant IP protection.
You should deal with standing (or indeed flowing) water the same as an ICE car - don't go deeper than just below the wheel hubs, and below sill height if the water is flowing across your path, such as a ford.
You are probably more likely to ruin the car through water in the interior or get yourself drowned than affecting the electrics.

 

[cah197]

They all have relevant IP protection.
You should deal with standing (or indeed flowing) water the same as an ICE car - don't go deeper than just below the wheel hubs, and below sill height if the water is flowing across your path, such as a ford.
You are probably more likely to ruin the car through water in the interior or get yourself drowned than affecting the electrics.

This is good advice - although more for the point that you really don’t know how deep the water is and there can be a chance of getting swept downstream.

 

[DangerousDoug]

I live in Herefordshire (in the news recently) and I've been driving my MG ZS EV through some amazing flash floods over the last couple of weeks. No problems at all! - much more robust than a petrol engine, where I would have had stalls due to damp ignition long before now...

 

[Rickev]

Thanks everyone for the advice - I feel reassured. The MG ZS video was great to watch too. My only reservation now about driving through a flooded road is that, with an ICE, you would brake a few times once driven through to remove water from the discs and pads. This would be more difficult in an EV especially if driving with regen. There is already some discussion on this forum about short lifespan of discs due to surface rust not being removed through braking but that's another topic. It still hasn't put me off buying an EV!

 

[Ralkbirdy]

Better than the old Renault Espace which had the air intake low down in a wheel arch and quickly sucked water into the engine.

 

[dk6780]

My only reservation now about driving through a flooded road is that, with an ICE, you would brake a few times once driven through to remove water from the discs and pads. This would be more difficult in an EV especially if driving with regen.

Perhaps you have answered your own point - you need to actively brake to ensure that the pads touch the disks and clear the water from them rather than use the EV equivalent of engine braking which is the regen. It is also worth noting that cars like the LEAF have separate brake drums for the parking brake (or emergency brake as the Cousins would say), and you really need to dry that as well by applying it on the move to avoid it seizing.

 

[leafmonster]

I drove through flood water in my leaf no problem.

Stay safe tho. Just saw a flooded carpark next to a river. Couldn't tell where the carpark stopped and the river started. If you drove throught that you could accidentally drive into the river?

 

[dk6780]

Who knew that i3's float?

Coming to a salvage auction in the near future. Strange that people seem to just abandon their cars in low lying areas despite the warnings - I appreciate that you cannot empty a building but that i3 was on a road that led directly to higher ground and the storms and floods were forecast.

 

[cdlb]

There's lots of videos on YouTube of Teslas in floods, such as:

But whether it's a good idea or not is another matter... What happens to electric cars that have been flooded?

 

[dk6780]

Ask Nicolas Raimo

What happens when you drown an electric car

 

[mikegs]

It's a bit like smoking. Doing it doesn't hurt you at all ... for quite a long time. Then if you are unlucky you're a write-off.


So with cars and deep water.

 

[Cloud]

I'd stick to the same safe-ish levels as in an ICE to be honest. They do have the IP ratings but I think it's sometimes splash protection rated rather than submersion? If it got too deep I know on the Zoe there's a battery 'chimney' it could get into. Plus the risk of simply losing control etc. Keep up a bow wave if you must, I guess. But I would take Nick's video as a bit of reassurance if it got accidentally caught in a flood rather than an instructional video

 

[HandyAndy]

One technique to dry out the discs is to select Neutral while moving, and then brake. Works on Amperas, and it's a good idea to do this after a few trips to stop the rears rusting up through lack of use! Should work on other EVs, as regen is deselected in this mode.

 

[Rickev]

Thanks - I'd read about that in the thread on brake wear. Someone also recommended having the brakes stripped and cleaned every one or two years.

 

[EricM]

We did this topic some time ago.

It's not the car getting wet that you need to worry about but the chances of driving off the edge of the road or even floating 'down stream' completely out of control !

Stick to driving where you can see someone else isn't in so deep that you can't see their wheels.

 

[Troon]

Leaf at 700mm (same as a Discovery 4 in off-road mode!):

As said above, don't try this unless you know how deep the water is and what may be concealed beneath (blown-out manhole cover?) — and don't risk it if the water is flowing.

 

[Sandy]

Ask Nicolas Raimo

What happens when you drown an electric car

I suggested this car would be up for sale within 6 months didn't I? Anyone following his garage, seen it up for sale?

 

[Zoefan]

Ask Nicolas Raimo

What happens when you drown an electric car

Very interesting
My Zoe had a water leak from the windscreen that allowed the internal driver footwell to become a paddling pool. I took all of that sponge out and it was sodden and I mopped out above that fuse area but didn’t open it up to check. The dealer said it was no problem and I was safe?
It took about three days of sunshine on the patio to dry the sponge bit out. After three trips to the dealer they finally sorted the leak. I wish I had seen this before as I would have insisted they check that fuse housing.
Car continued to work without problems throughout but each time it waterlogged (prior to the final fix) I imagined an electric chair scenario.