Is electric really the answer?

[Bibs]

The car park has collapsed I think, 1,200 cars in there...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-67075159

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

By the way I would take what the Fire Chief says with a pinch of salt. Apparently he claimed that the open sides of the car park allowed the fire to spread horizontally before it went up the building. All the images and other reports say it started on level 3 top floor and then collapsed down on to the other levels.

[JimmytheTurbo]

In many respects it doesn't matter what type of car started the fire...The public believes it was an EV.

I wonder how many dealers will be having people ring up to cancel their orders this morning?

Who would want an EV sitting on their drive next to their home while they sleep?

[jep]

2 hours ago, Bibs said:

seem to recall in Copenhagen they made an island out of it - it's now where the airport is! 

Always a shit landing at Copenhagen 

[KennyN]

It has been reported that it was a diesel car that went on fire...of course, that fits perfectly with the agenda.

[Kimbers]

14 minutes ago, KennyN said:

It has been reported that it was a diesel car that went on fire...of course, that fits perfectly with the agenda.

Definately the least likely suspect as Diesel really isn't that easy to combust! However, like you said, some people may think that a bit suss!

[C8RKH]

I'm surprised they have a clue as to EV or not the culprit. They'll still be damping down and making safe and give the square footage would imagine some time for the investigation.

Probably just someone putting 1 and 1 together and making 78.

We'll find out in due course.

[Kimbers]

53 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

I'm surprised they have a clue as to EV or not the culprit. They'll still be damping down and making safe and give the square footage would imagine some time for the investigation.

Probably just someone putting 1 and 1 together and making 78.

We'll find out in due course.

And I thought 1 plus 1 is 69!

[exeterjeep]

1 hour ago, Kimbers said:

Definately the least likely suspect as Diesel really isn't that easy to combust!

Tried to light some central heating fuel with a match, it put the match out.

Maybe someone had an e-scooter inside their car.

[ChrisJ]

No sprinklers. I think that there might be a few inspections of other steel frame car parks coming.

 

[exeterjeep]

Video of the car that is supposed to have started it has appeared on the BBC live page, can't read the reg though.  Looks like a 4x4 , RR?

[Escape]

On another (LR) forum it was suggested it was a Range Rover PHEV. That could explain things, I really don't see diesel just bursting into flames. A mate had lit a fire with some green wood which was struggling.... Thought he'd help it along with 5L of diesel and all it did was put it out . Some petrol 'stolen' from the forklift was great to get a BBQ started in sub zero temperatures though. 🙂

[Rambo]

They must think we're stupid. Toss a match in a pool of diesel and it will go out. Try this at home and you'll see what I mean.

As a life long sceptic, my money is on an EV but, of course, that would be more bad press for the EV luvvies 🤔

[ChrisJ]

Here's a video from the front - 2014 Diesel RR

 

[mg4lotus]

Maybe the RR had an electric mobility scooter in the boot?

[TAR]

It doesn't look like it's parked in a bay. My guess is that it's had diesel engine runaway where it starts to burn the oil from the sump revving up until it explodes.  

[Rambo]

No way is that parked in a bay. How do we know if that clip is from the actual multi storey car park at Luton?

And why is someone filming it? Presumably the actual owner? Wouldn't it have been better using the phone to ring 999?

 

[Escape]

I also noticed the RR is in a strange place, not parked. Maybe the owner was trying to get away from the fire but was forced to abandon the car? I doubt we'll ever find out the real cause and chain of events, considering the damages. When my workshop burned down, I had 5 different experts investigate. They all came to a different conclusion, only agreeing that there was no evidence of foul play.

[ChrisJ]

2 hours ago, Rambo said:

No way is that parked in a bay. How do we know if that clip is from the actual multi storey car park at Luton?

And why is someone filming it? Presumably the actual owner? Wouldn't it have been better using the phone to ring 999?

 

Correct - not parked in a bay.

Matches the video from the other side that was initially uploaded. The two fire extinguishes also matches reports of a third party who went to try to help.

Why does any one film anything these days - it seems to be the default action.

[exeterjeep]

Saw a report that the owner was driving into the car park, realised it was on fire and left it in a hurry. So they had not parked up at that time. 

From the reg/year it was just about 6 months early to be a MHEV version. On Autotrader it looks as if the next model year was when they introduced the mildly hybrid.

[Rambo]

London Fire Brigade warned this year that fires involving lithium batteries are “the fastest growing fire risk in London”

[JimmytheTurbo]

Id laugh my arse off if they had to ban electric cars from central London 🙂

[C8RKH]

8 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

Saw a report that the owner was driving into the car park, realised it was on fire and left it in a hurry. So they had not parked up at that time. 

From the reg/year it was just about 6 months early to be a MHEV version. On Autotrader it looks as if the next model year was when they introduced the mildly hybrid.

Put the reg in mot checker and it is 3.0 TDV, nothing electric or hybrid about that car

[exeterjeep]

[mg4lotus]

Don't look Ethel.... Too late, she'd already got her phone out.