[jcramer]

Reading the latest news about Hurricane Harvey hitting Corpus Christi and flooding Houston, I am caused to wonder how Volts do in high water. Are they better than worse than ICE vehicles when the streets flood?

Has anyone had any experience on this issue?

 

[viking79]

The Volt has an ICE too, so will have similar restrictions if the gas engine is running, it has to breath.

Electric vehicles in general are better in water since they don't have to breath. Water naturally does not conduct electricity well, distilled water has very high resistance, but salty water will be lower, so even if the battery is submerged it could likely operate. However, as any modern car, it might take damage to electronics over time.

People, electricity, and water don't mix because the use case in a house is a bathtub with an appliance can give the electricity a path to ground from the wet appliance through the human to grounded copper pipes. It only takes like 150 milliamps to kill a person. I think generally accepted value is 100 to 200 mA. In an electric car there should be no path through the human to ground unless you are tampering with the wiring.

Volt in water:
http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us...4001/currentChannelId/Most Recent.gsaOff.html
That is a non operational car, but pretty sure they did an operational test as well, but can't find the video.

 

[Steverino]

Don't drive in high water. You have no idea what's under there. Some have hit concrete parking barriers, deep holes, miscellaneous metal objects.

 

[viking79]

I agree, driving in water is a bad idea, and will most likely total the car for insurance purposes (let alone any other issues, like floating off and drowning).

 

[Fyodor]

Reading the latest news about Hurricane Harvey hitting Corpus Christi and flooding Houston, I am caused to wonder how Volts do in high water. Are they better than worse than ICE vehicles when the streets flood?

Has anyone had any experience on this issue?

And I'm wondering about Norm51 and hoping he and everyone else down there gets through this OK.

 

[Upper5Percent]

Reading the latest news about Hurricane Harvey hitting Corpus Christi and flooding Houston, I am caused to wonder how Volts do in high water. Are they better than worse than ICE vehicles when the streets flood?

Has anyone had any experience on this issue?

Be on alert as many of those cars that drown in Texas will be reborn with "washed" titles on the used car market over the coming months...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/title-washing_n_5767494.html

 

[ianjay]

I guess some of those vehicles may be described as never "driven" in the rain...

 

[ewiggins]

Don't drive in high water. You have no idea what's under there. Some have hit concrete parking barriers, deep holes, miscellaneous metal objects.

Where where you when I needed your advice years ago....LOL

I drove slowly though a huge parking lot with just about 1 foot of water--young and stupid. I was doing good until I hit a dip in the middle of the parking lot (drainage grate) and water gushed up and when into my intake filter causing my engine to suck up water and break a rod. Needles to say the car was totaled. After that I take no changes unless I really know the road.

 

[fotomoto1]

And I'm wondering about Norm51 and hoping he and everyone else down there gets through this OK.

Norm51 is up in San Antonio which was far enough away to be OK. I was about 50 miles from landfall but on the "good side" and locally had minor damage of the typical kind. Both the wife and I have co-workers and friends who lived near ground zero (Port Aransas and Rockport) who have suffered tremendous loses and the next days and weeks will be just as tough. Trying to be an optimist, at least we aren't getting the flooding rains like southeast Texas.

I'm sorry I can't recall his name but there is member here from Rockport who had a volt but had very recently moved to a Bolt. I hope he evacuated; so many didn't. Those that stayed, including a personal friend who I remained in contact with through most of it providing "intel" and emotional support, all say they'll never do it again.

Please give to the Red Cross or other relief organizations.

 

[Barry]

I think they are about the same as an ICE car, which is to say that they can be totaled by high water and the risk of being washed away and drown is about the same, etc.

We had a forum member post a lot of information about 1-2 years ago about getting caught in a sudden flash flood while driving. I think the water was high enough to actually float the car. He was washed well away from the road with a lot of other traffic. I think the Volt was a total loss, but he was not hurt.

 

[Fyodor]

Norm51 is up in San Antonio which was far enough away to be OK.

My mistake, I thought Norm was in Corpus Christie. Wishing all of you the best, it's hard to see where this is going.

 

[Steverino]

Here is GM's water trough test

 

[srmarti]

GM tested it extensively, but it's still a car, not a boat.

 

[mpmoore1979]

The drive motor battery is exposed to the elements, it's sealed however the connectors are water resistance but not water proof. Going through some water is not the same as being stuck under water for some time. Water would find its way in to the cabin and then you have major issues since those connectors are not water resistance. I would stay away from a flood car of any kind, a great deal on the car can turn in to a money pit very fast.

 

[JRRF]

You should never drive through any standing water bigger than a puddle for a multitude of reasons. You might get lucky, you might not. Why put your car and your life at risk?

 

[LANMAN]

I am currently living in NW Houston, and my Volt hasn't left the garage since Friday. Not knowing what to expect I even bought blocks to put the car on, but we only had about a foot of water in our street by Saturday night, and it drained out by Sunday morning. My Escape Hybrid has more clearance, but I would never drive through the equivalent amounts of water that I see people driving through down here.

 

[Jake91]

JC,

Steverino is right I've seen a highway with just a 1/2 foot of water on it BUT all the man hole covers were blown off.
Talk about a wheel sucker!
PS,
I've driven my Escape Hybrid in rocker panel deep water with no ill effect.

 

[Barry]

I've had only one occasion to drive through a small flooded spot since owning my Volt. It was probably 5 inches deep and all the SUVs were blasting through it like it was not there. I decided not to chance it and found a way around with just a few minutes delay. Not worth taking a risk on the electronics to save 5 minutes every 2 years, especially since these cars can be hard to get fixed.

 

[JRRF]

I've had only one occasion to drive through a small flooded spot since owning my Volt. It was probably 5 inches deep and all the SUVs were blasting through it like it was not there. I decided not to chance it and found a way around with just a few minutes delay. Not worth taking a risk on the electronics to save 5 minutes every 2 years, especially since these cars can be hard to get fixed.

Electricity and water never mix very well.

And the Volt sits very low to the ground. More than a few inches of water and it will be seeping into the cabin. If you value your car in any way, you'll be wanting to sell it shortly after that since no amount of "fixing" or "drying" will get the mold and mildew out of it.

 

[llninja]

And I'm wondering about Norm51 and hoping he and everyone else down there gets through this OK.

I just checked with Norm (before I even saw this thread), he's fine, no flooding where he's at in San Antonio.