Charging Overnight: Rivian Dealership Learns the Hard Way

[TaxmanHog]

Four Rivian electric vehicles burned overnight at a dealership in Franklin, Tennessee — all starting from a single truck that was plugged in and charging at 1:20 a.m. The fire spread fast, pushed into the service bay, and crews spent hours cooling the battery packs. One firefighter was injured but later released.

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[WXman]

It's terrifying. Just last week I installed a heat detector in my garage. If the temp rises too quickly, or if ambient reaches 130F, the alarm will sound and activate the smoke detectors inside my house also.

 

[Tony Burgh]

4 wheel drive F150’s were always too tall for our integral garage. FCSP was mounted outside. I used to lament that I couldn’t have an inside charger with the fancy Sunrun VtH power back up.
Articles like these and problems people had with the back up systems make me grateful for my old home with small garage.

 

[Grumpy2]

I wouldn't draw too many conclusions, each of those rigs were parked at a service center because their owner had issues of some sort. I would suggest it is the service manager that needs to explain what happened and why ....

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Refueling gassy cars is very dangerous. Probably nobody should take their car to a gas station ever again.

 

[RickLightning]

I'd suggest that this thread be edited. Why?

1) The title is taken from the alarmist headline of the Youtube video, which was created by a fire captain, not an EV expert. It implies certain things.

2) AI, which I despise (no, not your Brian), pulls crap from sites like this and amplifies it. Soon, this forum will be a valid source for "EVs catch fire".

3) First post should be modified to indicate that the title was written as clickbait by the author of the Youtube post, and there is zero knowledge as to the cause of the fire.

 

[Sealevel]

Is this a recent event? I recall this or a similar event being reported several months ago. I believe the vehicles were being prepared for delivery in the event I am remembering.

 

[RickLightning]

Is this a recent event? I recall this or a similar event being reported several months ago. I believe the vehicles were being prepared for delivery in the event I am remembering.

11/1/25

 

[TaxmanHog]

The title is taken from the alarmist headline of the Youtube video, which was created by a fire captain, not an EV expert. It implies certain things.

https://www.youtube.com/@StacheDTraining
StacheD Training

DescriptionI’m Pat! Captain at a large suburban fire department in Michigan and a mechanical engineer with a background in R&D, holding multiple patents on electric vehicle technology.

This channel is built for firefighters, first responders, and safety professionals facing the growing risks from EVs, micromobility devices, and battery energy storage systems.

With nearly 20 years in the fire service and a career developing and testing EV battery structures, I bring a rare perspective that bridges fireground reality with the engineering behind the tech.

Here, you’ll get training-focused content, real-world incident breakdowns, and practical advice to help you make better decisions when it counts.

I work with FSRI, IAFC, SAE, and other industry leaders to stay ahead of the curve and bring that knowledge straight to you.

 

[fhteagle]

EVs catch fire

Yes, EVs catch fire, but at a rate that's something like 20 to 100x _less_ than combustion vehicles, depending on whose data you believe most. EV fires are more likely to be indicated electronically, by smoke, or popping sounds before full involvement, which gives occupants more time to leave the vehicle or scene vs combustion.

I don't think we need to hush hush that, let's look it in the face and do what we need to in order to get the EV fires risk number down even further.

 

[RickLightning]

And the fire captain in Michigan has no first hand knowledge of the cause of the fire in Tennessee since nothing has been released beyond that it is believed to have started in a vehicle that was charging.

The Youtube title is clickbait and should not be the title of the thread.

 

[WXman]

EV fires are more likely to be indicated electronically, by smoke, or popping sounds before full involvement, which gives occupants more time to leave the vehicle or scene vs combustion.

I'm not sure I'm on board with that. I've actually seen ICE vehicle fires in my lifetime. They almost always start very slowly and grow gradually, giving ample time to get out of the vehicle. By contrast when a battery pack, particularly lithium ones, decides to go they either explode or accelerate in seconds.

If I had to pick a vehicle, knowing that it was going to catch fire for certain one day, I'd take my chances with ICE.

Same thing for methods of travel. ALL statistics say air travel is safer than car travel. But would you rather crash in a car or a plane?

 

[Duke_239]

Yeah, old impassioned person here. Stashed is a legit observer, not an internet crackpot. EVs do catch fire and sometimes the initiation of the fire and/or the consequences are unique to the battery and e drive train systems. Some here have suggested that the cause of the fire is unknown. Sure, it could have been an ashtray fire, or a seat hearer fire, but what are the odds? It is folly to think we have fire protection systems for EVs that are as robust as the ones for ICEs, given we have been dealing with ICEs at consumer scale for 100 years. No judgements, just calling it like I see it. My day job is keeping fossil fuel infrastructure from killing people.

 

[fhteagle]

I'm not sure I'm on board with that. I've actually seen ICE vehicle fires in my lifetime. They almost always start very slowly and grow gradually, giving ample time to get out of the vehicle. By contrast when a battery pack, particularly lithium ones, decides to go they either explode or accelerate in seconds.

If I had to pick a vehicle, knowing that it was going to catch fire for certain one day, I'd take my chances with ICE.

Same thing for methods of travel. ALL statistics say air travel is safer than car travel. But would you rather crash in a car or a plane?

I'm not trying to turn this thread into a flame war, all puns intended. I don't agree with you at all, especially the rhetoric of your last paragraph.

I think I'll just let this speak for itself:

 

[jwrezz]

https://www.youtube.com/@StacheDTraining
StacheD Training

DescriptionI’m Pat! Captain at a large suburban fire department in Michigan and a mechanical engineer with a background in R&D, holding multiple patents on electric vehicle technology.

This channel is built for firefighters, first responders, and safety professionals facing the growing risks from EVs, micromobility devices, and battery energy storage systems.

With nearly 20 years in the fire service and a career developing and testing EV battery structures, I bring a rare perspective that bridges fireground reality with the engineering behind the tech.

Here, you’ll get training-focused content, real-world incident breakdowns, and practical advice to help you make better decisions when it counts.

I work with FSRI, IAFC, SAE, and other industry leaders to stay ahead of the curve and bring that knowledge straight to you.

Hold on...you're him @TaxmanHog ? Either way I was just going to jump in. Pat is not an alarmist with no EV experience. He's trying to do the right thing by firefighters first. Lots of his posts are alarming, but so are the random stories about Ryobi tool batteries catching fire in someone's garage. Yup, batteries catch fire. Most of what we see and hear is overblown, but we still need to be careful with stuff. I haven't watched this video yet, but I'm sure there's more going on here.

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