Electrical and High Voltage SafetyWARNING: Always disconnect the
charging cable before working
underneath the vehicle or the hood,
regardless of whether or not it
is charging. See Disconnecting the
Charging Cable on page 149.WARNING: Some cooling fans operate
even when the vehicle is powered off.
Keep hands, hair, clothing, and tools
clear of the fan blades at all times.
While your vehicle was built with the safety
of you and your occupants as first priority,
it is important to be aware of the risk of
injury associated with high-voltage systems
and protect yourself accordingly.
-Read and follow the directions on all
safety labels attached to the vehicle.
- There are no user-serviceable parts
in your high-voltage system. Do not
attempt to access the high-voltage
system or disassemble, remove, or
replace any system components. All
high-voltage cables are colored orange
for easy identification.
- In the event a high-voltage cable
or component becomes damaged,
never touch any high-voltage cables,
connectors, or components connected
to the cables. There is a risk of fatal
injury by burning and electrocution if the
system
Vehicle Fire
FirefightingWARNING: When a fire is involved,
consider the entire vehicle to be
energized. Always wear full personal
protective equipment (PPE), including
a self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA).WARNING: Extinguishing any vehicle
fire is best accomplished by
firefighting professionals. Contact
your local authorities or fire
department for help.
A vehicle battery fire presents a risk of
exposure to high heat or toxic gases. It
can take copious amounts of water applied
directly to the battery to extinguish and cool a
battery fire. Establish or request an additional
water supply from nearby sources.
In the absence of a water supply, use dry
chemicals, such as Carbon dioxide (CO2), foam, or any other typical fire-extinguishing
agent, to fight the fire until a water supply is
available.
Extinguishing smaller fires that do not involve
a high-voltage battery follows the standard
firefighting procedures.
A burning or a heated battery releases toxic
vapors. Responders should always protect
themselves with full PPE (including a SCBA)
and take appropriate measures to protect
civilians from the incident. Use fog streams
or positive-pressure ventilation fans (PPV) to
direct smoke and vapors away from other
responders and civilians.
After knock down
Make sure any fires are knocked down before
entering a hot zone. Heat combined with
flames can compromise the airbag inflators,
stored gas inflation cylinders, gas struts, and
other components, resulting in an unexpected
explosion.
During vehicle inspections, always use
insulated tools and do not make contact with
any high-voltage components.
Use a thermal imaging camera to measure the temperature of the high-voltage battery
and monitor heating or cooling trends.
Before releasing the vehicle to second
responders (such as law enforcement or vehicle transporters) or otherwise leaving the
incident, completely cool the battery with no
fire, smoke, or heating present for at least one
hour. Always notify second responders of the
risk of battery re-ignition.Roadside Assistance & Emergency Information201
