Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019 - 4

logging on

s the owner of a gasolineelectric hybrid, I live
something of a sheltered
life.
I can reap some of the benefits
of driving an electric car, but unlike
the driver of a full-electric vehicle
or even a plug-in hybrid, I don't
spend much time thinking about the
powerful battery I have onboard.
I know that concealed behind a
panel in the trunk lies a 245-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery
pack, but it's recharged as I drive, so I don't have to plug
anything in. The closest I come to interacting with the electricdrive technology is watching an animated power-flow schematic
on my infotainment screen.
But as they say, knowledge is power.
And knowledge about power can be a life-and-death matter
to the people responsible for keeping us safe.
Imagine what a first responder must consider when coming
upon an accident involving an electrified vehicle of unknown
design and specifications, one that might have high-voltage
cables somewhere and a powerful lithium ion battery at risk
of igniting, even reigniting long after the fire is doused.
We've prepared this issue of Shift because no discussion
about electric vehicles is complete without an examination
of the safety implications involved: topics such as how first
responders are trained to deal with EVs; how batteries are
tested; how they are kept from overheating during charging;
how high-strength adhesives can help prevent battery damage;
and what lessons the industry has learned from things that
have gone wrong.
This magazine is also about the promise of the future. As
such, we explore new technologies that could replace or
improve today's batteries, efforts to recycle valuable battery
materials, even ways to make charging a car fun for consumers.
We're in the midst of an electrification revolution. With all the
improvements being made in EV performance and range - with
all that power, if you will - comes a continued responsibility to
make safety our top priority.
Sincerely,

Leslie J. Allen
Editor
lallen@crain.com

shift * november 2019

STAFF
Editor
Leslie J. Allen
Chief of Editorial Operations
Dave Versical
Chief Content Officer
Jamie Butters
Managing Editor
Mary Beth Vander Schaaf
Deputy Mobility Editor
Pete Bigelow
Reporters
Alexa St. John
Richard Truett
Copy Editors
Amy Butters
Tim Good
Elizabeth Hardy
Cynthia Orosco-Wright
Contributors
Marcus Amick
Dale Buss
Jack Keebler
Rachael Russell
Art Director
Michele L. Trombley
Associate Publisher
Karen Rentschler
Global Marketing Director
Kathy Lightbody

Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Shift Magazine - November 25, 2019