Firefighter Injured in Hybrid Car Fire
A firefighter suffered burns to his face while battling a fire in Sydney, Australia.
A firefighter sustained facial burns when a hybrid car caught fire in the suburb of Camperdown in Sydney’s inner west.
The hybrid Volvo SUV’s cabin caught fire on Ross Street around 4.40 a.m. on June 13, as reported by Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW).
Upon arriving at the scene, fire crews found the car “smoldering,” according to authorities.
The firefighter received treatment at the scene from ambulance paramedics for superficial burns and minor smoke inhalation.
At this stage, FRNSW did not identify the lithium-ion battery under the cabin as the cause of the fire.
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The fire investigation and research unit is still working to determine the source of the fire.
Preliminary indications suggested that an e-scooter charging inside the house could have caused the fire.
“The nature of Lithium-ion battery fires is highly volatile,” stated FRNSW’s Inspector Steven Perkins.
“In case of failure, these devices tend to fail rapidly and with high intensity.
“Despite the rapid spread of the fire, our crews successfully contained it from reaching neighboring properties.”
What kind of Cars are Aussies Buying?
Meanwhile, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales are on the rise according to the latest data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
Released on June 5, the figures revealed that hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales accounted for 15.8 percent of the market in May, up from 7.9 percent the previous year.
Hybrid vehicles feature both a gasoline engine and an electric motor, while plug-in hybrid vehicles have larger batteries that can be charged via an external electric power source.
Battery electric vehicle sales saw a slight increase, comprising 8.1 percent of new sales compared to 7.7 percent in the same month last year.
Overall, new vehicle sales climbed by 5.1 percent in May 2024 to 111,099 new vehicles, up from 105,694 in the corresponding month in 2023.
The sports utility market rose by 1.2 percent, and the heavy commercial vehicle market saw a 1.1 percent increase from May 2023.
FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber described it as another record-breaking month, emphasizing the industry’s resilience and ability to cater to the diverse needs of Australian motorists despite economic challenges.
