Originally Posted by
Alan K
Bad things happen with every technology. Even with well-established ones, when greed for more profits gets in the mix. Almost 10 times more people died in Ford Pinto fires, who should have never died, had it not been for Ford’s greed.
Nice to hear someone remembering one of my favorite cars. Specifically the Ford Pinto Station Wagon with the BIG 4 banger. I was able to fix the gas tank problem by getting Back Door repair parts from a dealership. I dropped the tank, installed a shield, replaced the filler neck, and thats it. One Saturdays work. Supposedly fixed and no dealership intervention. Now that low hanging Oil Pan was another problem. I had to weld in a skid plate ta fix that problem. Was it worth it? Yes... I got my moneys worth outta that car. Its demise was via a slow impact T-Bone accident that bent the car in half. I am so glad I did not get a chance to test that gas tank shield.
As to the OP, I have had some time to think about it now. Regulation, inspections, more laws and over site may not be the answer. It could be that the batteries were owner modified or simply of poor quality. What can we do? I once took apart a power surge secondary supply block for a server. It was made by HP. I was shocked to find poor welding, positioning, and even corrosion on the lithium batteries. Is it worth it to take your large power packs apart to make sure they are sound? I dont think you can. Lithium ion batteries present a real engineering problem. Lets fix it!