NBC’s ‘The TODAY Show’ Runs a Segment on Dangers of EVs on Extremely Hot Days

MELVIN: “Meanwhile, first up this half hour, a new concern tied to this dangerous heat wave that we’ve been talking about all week.”
JARRETT: “A serious warning is being aimed at drivers of electric vehicles this morning. A growing number of reports of people being unable to get in or out of their cars”
KOTB: “Yeah, sounds scary. NBC’s Morgan Chesky joins us now with more on this potential safety issue a lot of drivers don’t even know about. Hey, Morgan, good morning.”
CHESKY: “Yeah, guys, that’s right. It has been striking to hear from multiple drivers on this very same issue. One car owner not mincing words at all in a public complaint, calling it a potential death trap after being locked inside their electric vehicle when its battery died. Now one firefighter is on a mission to educate everyone about how they can help themselves if and when their car’s power goes out.”

[Clip starts]
CHESKY (voice-over): “With an estimated 3 million electric cars cruising on American roads, an urgent warning this morning, following multiple reports of drivers getting stuck inside the vehicles or locked out of them if an on-board battery dies. Becky Lebow says she and her daughter were driving a rented Tesla when a 12-volt battery powering the car’s electronics died, locking them inside. Unsure how to get out, they called a tow truck driver who didn’t know either.”

LEBOW: “He has said he had never experienced that. He wasn’t sure how he was gonna get us out.”

CHESKY (voice-over): “Alice Moran says it happened to her, too, on a 97 degree day in Palm Springs.”

MORAN: “We had been on our way to Vegas, for example. That is a long, desolate stretch. And even if you call 911, we might have been dead by the time they got there.”

CHESKY (voice-over): “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration now urging the owners of electric vehicles to familiarize themselves with the vehicle’s features, including the manual door release location, and immediately replace their 12-volt battery if it they receive a low battery warning. Most electric vehicles have a main battery that powers the car and a smaller battery for on-board electronics, including the door release and windows. If that 12-volt battery dies, experts say neither will work.”

CHESKY: “So if the power goes out inside, how do you get out? Well, in this Tesla, a Model 3, look to the arm rest. Find the unmarked latch, push up, and you’re out. But if you’re trying to get inside, that’s a different issue.”

SHOEMAKER: “Nobody’s telling them about this.”

CHESKY (voice-over): “Firefighter Paul Shoemaker now trains first responders on rescues, specifically for electric vehicles, due to the unique challenges they can pose.”

SHOEMAKER: “It could be the difference between life and serious injury due to dehydration, or even death if it was something where it was like a drowning or a vehicle fire.”

CHESKY (voice-over): “Since every electric car is slightly different, he says firefighters often end up breaking windows or tearing open doors to save those inside.”
[Clip ends]

CHESKY: “Now, at its core, Shoemaker told me he believes this is not a issue with the vehicles, but more so car education that needs to be addressed here. Hoda?”
KOTB: “Yeah, I mean, it’s good because I think a lot of people didn’t even know what that latch was, so it’s good that we know that now. But what’s Tesla saying about all this?”
CHESKY: “Well, we did reach out for comment. We have yet to receive an official response, but in each Tesla manual that we looked at, information on where to find those levers could be found. So if you are driving a Tesla, absolutely check that out. It could help you when crisis strikes here. Guys?”
MELVIN: “Absolutely.”
JARRETT: “All right, cool.”
KOTB: “All right, thank you, Morgan Chesky, for us there.”