Electric vehicles are not like combustion engine vehicles, and in the event of an accident, their systems must be shut down quickly to prevent a potential fire.
To do this, it is not enough to simply turn off the power. It is necessary to completely turn off the high voltage system.
In the photo below – Tesla Model 3. In a serious accident, you must first break the rear right “window”. Then bend the interior trim element and pull out the red cable with the orange label.
By cutting this cable, you switch off the high voltage system.
Tesla, Rivian and BMW have two of these cables. One of them is hidden under the hood and you don’t have to break or break anything to access it. A second cable is provided in case the front of the machine is damaged in an accident and it is impossible to reach the cable located there.
Rivian’s second cables are located under the trim in the C-pillar on the passenger side. And for BMW electric vehicles, they are in the charging port.