Since an EV doesn’t generate gases like a fossil fuel vehicle, this question might seem irrelevant, but are there any reasons (other than a battery fire) why you shouldn’t start or run an EV, like the Kia EV6, inside a fully closed garage? I’m so used to the dangers of running a gas engine inside a garage that running my EV6 with closed doors, especially in winter, still makes me nervous.
Nope, EVs are perfectly fine running indoors.
It makes me nervous too, even though I know it’s irrational. Glad I’m not the only one!
The biggest risk would be the small lead-acid battery, which can emit tiny amounts of fumes. But with such a small battery in a large garage, it’s no real risk. You probably get more fumes from the seats or interior plastics.
I still wait for the engine sound to kick in every time I start my Ioniq. Fifty years of habit is hard to break!
I was at the LA Auto Show recently, and they had a dozen EVs driving on indoor tracks. It was weird at first, but then it clicked that they were all EVs, so it made sense!
Ronald said:
Since an EV doesn’t generate gases like a fossil fuel vehicle, this question might seem irrelevant, but are there any reasons (other than a battery fire) why you shouldn’t start or run an EV, like the Kia EV6, inside a fully closed garage? I’m so used to the dangers of running a gas engine inside a garage that running my EV6 with closed doors, especially in winter, still makes me nervous.
The only real risk I can think of is accidentally shifting into drive and hitting a wall or the garage door! As others have mentioned, the lead-acid battery might release a tiny bit of hydrogen gas, but it’s nothing significant.
Ronald said:
Since an EV doesn’t generate gases like a fossil fuel vehicle, this question might seem irrelevant, but are there any reasons (other than a battery fire) why you shouldn’t start or run an EV, like the Kia EV6, inside a fully closed garage? I’m so used to the dangers of running a gas engine inside a garage that running my EV6 with closed doors, especially in winter, still makes me nervous.
It’s generally recommended to charge an EV outside. If there’s a lithium battery issue, a fire can spread incredibly fast, and there’s not much you can do until the fire department arrives with foam or fire blankets.