We had one of the solar powered electric carts at our last place and were wondering why it isn’t sold here?

This is correct. Definitely impossible that this fire was with one of the newer LiFePO4 batteries.

I wish that the media that likes to jump all over anything electric would actually point out that this won't happen with the newer batteries.

It does look like an older model so wonder why it was Lithium.

Older models will usually have either:

-Lead flooded deep cycle batteries (sort've like car batteries but better for handling being charged over and over).

-Lithium Ion batteries. The ones that can have a spontaneous fire that goes out of control. Not in most new electric carts, but they are still in Teslas

-Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries aka (LiFePo batteries). This are not flammable at all and are what all quality golf carts are using now for the past few years

EZGO uses NMC (Samsung) battery chemistry.
Club Car uses NCA battery chemistry (I think).
All others I know of use LFP battery chemistry.

All are lithium ion. China made all the LFP batteries since they own the patents...Which have recently expired.

Safest is LFP...then NMC...then NCA. NCA is a fragile lattice structure and LFP is very strong. I have a 150ah LFP (EVE) pack I put together myself. I charge at 0.1C to 3.5V/cell to avoid thermal runaway. I was going to up the voltage a bit but now I am not :)

It appears to be a Club Car. Don't know if the lithium batteries were OEM...I doubt it.

Yup.

Grateful
 

Thankfully nobody was hurt. These lithium batteries are very dangerous. The government needs to get involved and ban them until something can be figured out.

This gas fire (from page 1) looks pretty dangerous too. Are you recommending the same for that volatile liquid or are you thinking the owners need to manage their use better or differently? Same would go for volatile batteries.

I drive Yamaha Gas, but the electric segment has come a long way in a short time. We'll see what the next one is. To each their own.

whoa!!!

I had a LifePo battery for my RC sailboat and they recommended that I charge the battery in a special bag in case a fire got started during charging.

Lifepo batteries are indeed flammable under these situations:

Overcharging
Applying too much current to a battery can cause it to overheat and catch fire

Extreme temperatures
Freezing or extremely hot weather can cause a battery to release a large amount of energy and explode

Improper installation
Connecting batteries with different resistances can cause them to overheat and burn

There was a big push for everybody to buy electric everything. Those days are gone. Lithium golf carts cost more and are more expensive to maintain over the life of the cart. I’m including the many thousands of $$$ for new lithium batteries in 7-8 years and the expense of dumping these batteries as toxic waste

I hope no one was hurt!

That means McDonald's makes the best burger.

I can’t believe someone on phone would walk that close to a burning vehicle!

Unlike gasoline, which is 100% safe and could never catch fire or explode.