In “Star Trek,” to save starships and crews from a catastrophic matter/antimatter explosion, the United Federation of Planets equipped its planetary vessels with the option to eject the warp core. For those unaware, the warp core is what powers the starships and makes interplanetary travel possible in this fictional world. Stellantis might be looking to give its electric vehicle drivers a similar feature with a high-voltage battery quick-release system.
Before getting to the nitty-gritty about the inner workings of the battery ejection system, the need for this type of device must be explained. Vehicle fires with internal combustion engines are common and still very dangerous, but there are specific, well-known protocols that are followed to keep people safe. Electric vehicle fires are much rarer, but they can be more difficult to extinguish because they are unpredictable, burn at extreme temperatures, involve intense chemical reactions, exhibit complex fire behaviors, and can often reignite after being extinguished.
Currently, there are no technologies that exist that separate the battery from the car, but Stellantis is looking to change that with the U.S. patent it has filed for a quick-release system. It appears as simple as pushing a button, with the battery disconnecting and ejecting at the same time. The battery falls directly beneath the vehicle (rather than shooting behind the car), dropping with a thud. Are you wondering, “Okay, cool, so basically what powers all essential automotive function pops out the bottom — how do you drive away from the batteries?”
The answer is that each Stellantis vehicle with this feature will have a standard 12-volt battery that can power the vehicle just enough to drive a safe distance away.
As this idea is currently in the patent application phase, there is no indication yet if it will be put into production. It’s possibly an imperfect design, but it is nonetheless an interesting concept that is worth exploring, especially if it can save lives or, at minimum, make the jobs of firefighters easier when it comes to extinguishing flames quickly and safely.
