CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — Golf cart fires are popping up all over Southwest Florida. Charlotte County saw flames Tuesday, and you may remember a massive plume of smoke coming from Sanibel back in October.
Experts say it comes down to the battery pack inside the cart and if it was exposed to salt water during Hurricane Ian.
At Matt’s Custom Carts in Charlotte County, their batteries are in a waterproof container, but that’s not promised to come from other companies.
“We believe it’s created by electrolysis, the salt water entering the battery packs and creating issues within the battery,” Matt Bucci said.
“Especially after the hurricane with having Ian and everything, that’s a problem we’re running into with a lot of the EVs, electric vehicles,” fire Lt. Jon Jensen added. “That can create some pretty significant problems which cause things to degrade a lot faster.”
Back in September, Hurricane Ian sent water well over the roofs of many golf carts in places like Sanibel and Fort Myers beach burying the batteries.
“The salt in the water is mending with the electronics in the cart and creating connectivity in the battery. That’s what’s causing fires,” Bucci said. “I’d recommend if the cart was submerged under water, get it away from the home. Have somebody check it out. Somebody needs to open up the battery pack and check it out.”
Bucci said this shouldn’t be a problem if your golf cart was flooded by freshwater or just covered with rain. Not a single one of his golf carts went up in flames or had battery issues because of the sealed style.
To avoid any mishap, firefighters recommend following a few safety precautions when charging any batteries.
“The most important thing is to use the right charger, use the chargers provided for them in the manner that they’re prescribed to be used, and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to charge those in a well-ventilated area,” Lt. Jensen said.
And if your golf cart was submerged in salt water, take it to a professional as soon as possible.
nbc-2.com
Experts say it comes down to the battery pack inside the cart and if it was exposed to salt water during Hurricane Ian.
At Matt’s Custom Carts in Charlotte County, their batteries are in a waterproof container, but that’s not promised to come from other companies.
“We believe it’s created by electrolysis, the salt water entering the battery packs and creating issues within the battery,” Matt Bucci said.
“Especially after the hurricane with having Ian and everything, that’s a problem we’re running into with a lot of the EVs, electric vehicles,” fire Lt. Jon Jensen added. “That can create some pretty significant problems which cause things to degrade a lot faster.”
Back in September, Hurricane Ian sent water well over the roofs of many golf carts in places like Sanibel and Fort Myers beach burying the batteries.
“The salt in the water is mending with the electronics in the cart and creating connectivity in the battery. That’s what’s causing fires,” Bucci said. “I’d recommend if the cart was submerged under water, get it away from the home. Have somebody check it out. Somebody needs to open up the battery pack and check it out.”
Bucci said this shouldn’t be a problem if your golf cart was flooded by freshwater or just covered with rain. Not a single one of his golf carts went up in flames or had battery issues because of the sealed style.
To avoid any mishap, firefighters recommend following a few safety precautions when charging any batteries.
“The most important thing is to use the right charger, use the chargers provided for them in the manner that they’re prescribed to be used, and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to charge those in a well-ventilated area,” Lt. Jensen said.
And if your golf cart was submerged in salt water, take it to a professional as soon as possible.
Golf carts catching fire across Southwest Florida
Golf cart fires are popping up all over Southwest Florida. Charlotte County saw flames Tuesday, and you may remember a massive plume of smoke coming from Sanibel back in October.
nbc-2.com
