WASHINGTON — In the wake of last week’s crash and large fire along a California freeway involving an electric Tesla Semi that has drawn the attention of the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB), the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced plans to host a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 27, to address concerns regarding the safety of lithium-ion batteries.
“The 150,000 men and women [the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association] (OOIDA) is proud to represent make their living on the road, which is why roadway safety is our top priority,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA president. “We are pleased that USDOT is looking into the unintended safety consequences related to EV battery fires particularly in the wake of the massive fire that shut down I-80 in California just last week.”
According to USDOT, the event will be broadcast virtually for the audience, representatives from DOT and other agencies and organizations will discuss EVs and fire safety topics related to lithium-ion batteries. The format will include presentations with an opportunity for the audience to ask questions after each topic. Materials presented will be available on the Federal Register (Docket No. DOT-OST-2024-0092) and this page, on or before September 4.
Topics
The Battery Safety Post-Incident Stakeholder Meeting will convene experts across USDOT Operating Administrations and other federal agencies responsible for vehicle and fire safety, as well as organizations and members of the public with expertise or interest in areas of battery safety, EV standards, and emergency management services.
Topics covered will include:
- Stranded energy.
- Fire incident response.
- Heavy vehicle consideration.
- Damaged EV response.
- EV water immersion.
- Emerging battery technologies.
Registration and Supplemental Information
Registration is free but required for all attendees. Register for the Zoom webinar by August 26. Session are scheduled from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (EST).
According to USDOT, the department is committed to providing equal access to this meeting for all participants. Persons with disabilities in need of an accommodation should contact Mirna Providence at 617-494-3344 or via email at [email protected] with your request as soon as possible. Closed captioning services will be available.
Should it be necessary to cancel or reschedule the event due to an unforeseen circumstance, DOT will take all available measures to notify registered participants as soon as possible.
Privacy Act notice: The event will be recorded, and a recording will be posted here after the event. Any comments made or questions asked by participants will be included in the publicly available information available in the Federal Register, Docket No. DOT-OST-2024-0092. See information on DOT’s compliance with the Privacy Act.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to the meeting organizers at [email protected].
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
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