• by Tanya Gazdik , July 7, 2022

While educating consumers about electric vehicles has been a focus of several automakers, General Motors also trains first responders on how to respond to situations involving EVs.

The company’s latest EV First Responder Training program will focus on fire services personnel and includes best practices on how to most effectively support emergency situations involving electric vehicles.

This program, though directly focused on responders, also benefits drivers involved in incidents and is a continuation of GM-led education efforts that began more than a decade ago with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt in December 2010, one of the first plug-in hybrids on the road. 

The automaker’s EV vehicles currently include the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, GMC Hummer EV Pickup and Cadillac Lyriq. GM has said it plans to have the capacity to build more than 1 million EVs annually by 2025.

The first responder effort offers key information about battery electric vehicle technology and is meant to dispel misconceptions.

For example, many people assume water is dangerous around an EV battery, when in fact a large volume of water is recommended to suppress a lithium-ion battery fire.

The National Fire Protection Association has led its own education efforts around EVs with 300,000 first responders, but estimates there are more than 800,000 additional members of the community that need further training.

Training includes materials and curriculum developed with select key active members of public safety communities in major markets, across multiple venues such as fire houses, training academies, regional learning centers or dealerships. 

While gas- and diesel-powered vehicles share many similar crash safety aspects with electrified vehicles, GM’s approach to EV design with its Ultium battery-based vehicles means high voltage wiring is routed out of reach of passengers, along with other benefits including a much lower center of gravity than internal combustion vehicles, which may lower the risk of rollovers.

GM is also teaching first and second responders how to approach an emergency scene with as much information as possible, including data from its OnStar Automatic Crash Response and Injury Severity Prediction.

If a vehicle involved in an incident has OnStar active, first responders will be notified if an EV is involved. The information OnStar provides allows for public safety officials to triage the situation appropriately and respond safely and effectively on-scene.