Visiting the Toyota website I found a reference to information for first responders at an accident involving a Prius. I had not thought previously about the hazard a wrecked hybrid presents. The webpage that got me thinking is at
What you'll find there is a 31-page PDF document called "Dismantling Manual". A first responder will have a lot of thumbing to do in ferreting out the necessary data, especially if s/he doesn't have a pristine Prius handy as a lab rat.
Several things bother me. First of all, the manual insists that the dismantler check the instrument display to ensure that both motors are off. This is done by making sure the READY alert isn't selected. But if the Prius has been in a collision, there's no certainty the instrument display is working. Trying to work with the power on could put a rescuer at risk.
Second, the manual warns to not perform any dismantling until withdrawing the key from the ignition. There's no mention that a bunch of Priuses are equipped with the SmartKey system and might have no key evident. So far as I can figure, the only way to turn off the power then would be to get inside and hit the POWER button with a foot on the brake. What are the odds of being to do that in a wrecked Prius with the injured driver inside?
Third, the only way to open a locked rear hatch -- possibly the only functioning entry point after a collision or rollover -- is to use the remote fob or the door-lock switch on the front doors. Both activators require 12-volt power to the rear latch's solenoid, and there's no guarantee power will be available. after a collision. If external 12V power is to be used, it can only be applied through one terminal inside the under-hood fusebox, which may have been damaged or rendered inaccessible.
Fourth, the manual asserts that power remains in the high-voltage electrical system for five minutes after the HV battery pack is shut off. Even if a first responder is aware of that hazard, will s/he stand by while injured parties suffer or die?
Fifth, the manual warns against cutting any orange wire, as these are associated with the high-voltage circuitry exclusively. In the manual are diagrams of where these wires run, but not in sufficient detail to ensure that the Jaws of Life (or whatever other means might be used to remove sheet metal for access to the injured) won't sever a high-voltage wire.
Sixth, the manual asserts that the high-voltage battery's electrolyte, though dangerous, is a gel that is unlikely to leak, even in a collision. Nevertheless, it describes crucial steps that must be taken quickly if the caustic alkaline does escape and does contact a person. The neutralizing requires dilute boric acid or vinegar. It would be reassuring to know that those neutralizers would be available to first responders. If not, the manual states, "In an emergency, Toyota Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) may be requested." I do not find that a plausible course of action in an emergency.
These circumstances alarm me. A very good friend of mine is a first responder. He's a generation younger than I. I'm giving him a copy of the Dismantling Manual with the earnest request that if he's first on the scene of my wrecked Prius, he's to consider his own safety first.
Brent