Dozens of Bay Area firefighters received hands-on training on how to respond to electric vehicle highway crashes and fires Wednesday.
More electric cars are on the road these days, increasing the chance that one will be involved in a crash or catch fire. In fact, state data shows one in five new vehicle purchases in California is an electric car.
That's why roughly 40 Bay Area first responders wanted to get a firsthand look at the big batteries and all of their electrical components. They were trained on best practices.
"We should have been doing this many years ago," Capt. Edward Guerrero with Oakland Fire Department said. "So now it’s definitely catch-up time."
In preparation and anticipation for high-voltage related incidents, General Motors is using its electric vehicles and resources to teach.