Press Mention WLOS September 21, 2023
SACE Quoted
As electric vehicles grow in popularity, local EMS undergo special training
In this mention
EMS units in Buncombe County, North Carolina received specialized training on September 22, 2023, to handle emergency responses involving electric vehicles as EV adoption accelerates. Dory Larsen, Electric Transportation Project Manager for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, noted that electric vehicles now represent 7.1% of new market share, a 56% increase from the previous year. First responders emphasized the importance of this training given the unique safety hazards posed by EV battery systems and the growing prevalence of charging stations in the region.
7.1% of the new market share is electric vehicles. That's a 56% increase from last year.
Dory Larsen
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Full transcript
As electric vehicles grow in popularity, local EMS undergo special training
by Ed Diorio
Fri, September 22, 2023 at 5:59 PM
Updated Fri, September 22, 2023 at 7:55 PM
Electric cars are becoming more present in everyday life. As a result, EMS units spent Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, getting familiar with these kinds of vehicles.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — When emergency responders are called to incidents involving vehicles, they're used to seeing engines and oil.
However, the vehicle landscape is changing.
Electric cars are becoming more present in everyday life. As a result, EMS units spent Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Woodfin, North Carolina, getting familiar with these kinds of vehicles.
"There's a lot of differences between electric vehicle responses as opposed to the traditional gasoline," A.B. Tech Woodfin Campus Director of Fire Services John Wilson said.
After Friday's training, responders are better equipped to handle scenes involving electric vehicles.
IN WOODFIN:
Electric vehicles are becoming more and more present. That's why first responders are going through training courses to familiarize themselves with the safety precautions for the cars.
"7.1% of the new market share is electric vehicles," Electric Transportation Project Manager for the Alliance Dory Larsen said. "That's a 56% increase from last year."
Even though there are fewer parts under the hood of electric cars, that means there's more of a chance things could go wrong.
"With gas, you can pretty much cut anywhere," Wilson said. "With electric, there's areas that could be fatal if we're cutting into those."
Local EMS officials who took part in the training emphasized the training's importance because of the tourist towns Asheville and its surrounding areas are. They say they've seen more charging stations in the last few years than ever before.
"Especially with us having part of the interstate through our district, we never know what we're going to have through it," Weaverville Fire Chief Scottie Harris said. "On top of that, [electric vehicles] are becoming more prevalent. Our police department has hybrid (gas and electric) vehicles. They're trying to switch their entire fleet over to hybrid."
"That's the way that you see technology," Larsen said. "Usually, you have that rapid adoption curve. We're starting to see that where, every year, it's getting higher and higher."
Those from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy say they anticipate being a part of more training around Western North Carolina so that more units know how to handle a car with a charge.