When the rain didn’t stop on Saturday and the water levels began to rise, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) temporarily shut down 33 power substations in six states.
Thousands of consumers were affected. Portable power generators had to be used at temporary evacuation centres (PPS) instead.
At the same time, TNB advised those who are affected by the floods to stay away from electricity poles, electricity installations, and electricity cables, including insulated cables that have been submerged.
Homeowners are advised to turn off the main electrical switch as soon as the water starts entering their home.
Electrocution is a major risk during floods.
On Sunday, in Dengkil a man was found dead by Cyberjaya Fire And Rescue. The victim died of suspected electrocution, reported The Star.
Fast Chargers
In October the Government announced in Budget 2022 that it plans to provide full exemption from import and excise duties as well as sales tax for Electric Vehicles (EV) to support the development of the local EV industry.
Suddenly there was a rush to bring EVs into the country, set up chargers, and even set up a system to manage it all.
We have covered a few of these stories here:
READ MORE: Petronas To Install Fast Chargers Along Major Highways In 2022
READ MORE: There’s A New Electric Scooter In Town, & It’s Malaysia Made
READ MORE: Here’s How This Japanese Company Is Investing In Electric Vehicles In Malaysia
The thing is, EV’s need to be charged and fast chargers are preferable. However, they use direct current (DC) which is more dangerous than Alternating Current (DC) – what we get from the wall outlet.
In Malaysia these chargers has to have extra safety measures especially during floods.
They have to automatically disconnect at the first sight of danger or risk turning into a fire hazard or worse, a death trap.
Electric Cars
Have you seen those pictures of cars stranded for hours because of the flood over the weekend? Drivers and passengers had to leave their cars as the water rose and threaten to trap and flood them in their vehicles.
Cars that run on fuels are one thing but in an electric car, the undercarriage is packed with high powered and high capacity batteries. And we all know that bad things happen when electricity and electronics meet water.
It is a real concern for an electric vehicle owner in Malaysia.
However, in July a video on Twitter surfaced showing that having a Tesla during a flood may not be a bad idea.
Tesla Boat Model 3 @28delayslater @DirtyTesla pic.twitter.com/9XffL5U7RT
— codebear (@coderbear) July 20, 2021
The video shows what is believed to be a Tesla Model 3 functioning like a boat. It was believed to be recorded in the Henan province in China.
This very feat was achieved before back in 2016 when a Tesla Model S owner in Kazakhstan drove through a flooded tunnel.
Upon seeing the video, the CEO of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk had a surprising response:
We *def* don’t recommended this, but Model S floats well enough to turn it into a boat for short periods of time. Thrust via wheel rotation.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2016
So, if you are tempted to get an EV, specifically a Tesla, we got you covered.
READ MORE:Teslas Are Coming To Malaysia. Starting Price: RM288,888
