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

MELVIN Meanwhile first up ░░░░░░░░ half hour a new ░░░░░░░░ tied to this dangerous ░░░░░░░░ wave that we ve ░░░░░░░░ talking about all week ░░░░░░░░ A serious warning is ░░░░░░░░ aimed at drivers of ░░░░░░░░ vehicles this morning A ░░░░░░░░ number of reports of ░░░░░░░░ being unable to get ░░░░░░░░ or out of their ░░░░░░░░ KOTB Yeah sounds scary ░░░░░░░░ s Morgan Chesky joins ░░░░░░░░ now with more on ░░░░░░░░ potential safety issue a ░░░░░░░░ of drivers don t ░░░░░░░░ know about Hey Morgan ░░░░░░░░ morning CHESKY Yeah guys ░░░░░░░░ s right It has ░░░░░░░░ striking to hear from ░░░░░░░░ drivers on this very ░░░░░░░░ issue One car owner ░░░░░░░░ mincing words at all ░░░░░░░░ a public complaint calling ░░░░░░░░ a potential death trap ░░░░░░░░ being locked inside their ░░░░░░░░ vehicle when its battery ░░░░░░░░ Now one firefighter is ░░░░░░░░ a mission to educate ░░░░░░░░ about how they can ░░░░░░░░ themselves if and when ░░░░░░░░ car s power goes ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts CHESKY voice ░░░░░░░░ With an estimated 3 ░░░░░░░░ electric cars cruising on ░░░░░░░░ roads an urgent warning ░░░░░░░░ morning following multiple reports ░░░░░░░░ drivers getting stuck inside ░░░░░░░░ vehicles or locked out ░░░░░░░░ them if an on ░░░░░░░░ battery dies Becky Lebow ░░░░░░░░ she and her daughter ░░░░░░░░ driving a rented Tesla ░░░░░░░░ a 12 volt battery ░░░░░░░░ the car s electronics ░░░░░░░░ locking them inside Unsure ░░░░░░░░ to get out they ░░░░░░░░ a tow truck driver ░░░░░░░░ didn t know either ░░░░░░░░ He has said he ░░░░░░░░ never experienced that He ░░░░░░░░ t sure how he ░░░░░░░░ gonna get us out ░░░░░░░░ voice over Alice Moran ░░░░░░░░ it happened to her ░░░░░░░░ on a 97 degree ░░░░░░░░ in Palm Springs MORAN ░░░░░░░░ had been on our ░░░░░░░░ to Vegas for example ░░░░░░░░ is a long desolate ░░░░░░░░ And even if you ░░░░░░░░ 911 we might have ░░░░░░░░ dead by the time ░░░░░░░░ got there CHESKY voice ░░░░░░░░ The National Highway Traffic ░░░░░░░░ Administration now urging the ░░░░░░░░ of electric vehicles to ░░░░░░░░ themselves with the vehicle ░░░░░░░░ features including the manual ░░░░░░░░ release location and immediately ░░░░░░░░ their 12 volt battery ░░░░░░░░ it they receive a ░░░░░░░░ battery warning Most electric ░░░░░░░░ have a main battery ░░░░░░░░ powers the car and ░░░░░░░░ smaller battery for on ░░░░░░░░ electronics including the door ░░░░░░░░ and windows If that ░░░░░░░░ volt battery dies experts ░░░░░░░░ neither will work CHESKY ░░░░░░░░ if the power goes ░░░░░░░░ inside how do you ░░░░░░░░ out Well in this ░░░░░░░░ a Model 3 look ░░░░░░░░ the arm rest Find ░░░░░░░░ unmarked latch push up ░░░░░░░░ you re out But ░░░░░░░░ you re trying to ░░░░░░░░ inside that s a ░░░░░░░░ issue SHOEMAKER Nobody s ░░░░░░░░ them about this CHESKY ░░░░░░░░ over Firefighter Paul Shoemaker ░░░░░░░░ trains first responders on ░░░░░░░░ specifically for electric vehicles ░░░░░░░░ to the unique challenges ░░░░░░░░ can pose SHOEMAKER It ░░░░░░░░ be the difference between ░░░░░░░░ and serious injury due ░░░░░░░░ dehydration or even death ░░░░░░░░ it was something where ░░░░░░░░ was like a drowning ░░░░░░░░ a vehicle fire CHESKY ░░░░░░░░ over Since every electric ░░░░░░░░ is slightly different he ░░░░░░░░ firefighters often end up ░░░░░░░░ windows or tearing open ░░░░░░░░ to save those inside ░░░░░░░░ ends CHESKY Now at ░░░░░░░░ core Shoemaker told me ░░░░░░░░ believes this is not ░░░░░░░░ issue with the vehicles ░░░░░░░░ more so car education ░░░░░░░░ needs to be addressed ░░░░░░░░ Hoda KOTB Yeah I ░░░░░░░░ it s good because ░░░░░░░░ think a lot of ░░░░░░░░ didn t even know ░░░░░░░░ that latch was so ░░░░░░░░ s good that we ░░░░░░░░ that now But what ░░░░░░░░ Tesla saying about all ░░░░░░░░ CHESKY Well we did ░░░░░░░░ out for comment We ░░░░░░░░ yet to receive an ░░░░░░░░ response but in each ░░░░░░░░ manual that we looked ░░░░░░░░ information on where to ░░░░░░░░ those levers could be ░░░░░░░░ So if you are ░░░░░░░░ a Tesla absolutely check ░░░░░░░░ out It could help ░░░░░░░░ when crisis strikes here ░░░░░░░░ MELVIN Absolutely JARRETT All ░░░░░░░░ cool KOTB All right ░░░░░░░░ you Morgan Chesky for ░░░░░░░░ there.”