Thermal event detection and management system for an electric vehicle

1. A method of controlling the battery system of an electric vehicle, the battery system including a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including (a) a pressure sensor and (b) multiple battery cells electrically coupled together, comprising:

detecting a thermal event in a first battery pack of the plurality of battery packs based at least on a signal from the pressure sensor of the first battery pack; and

cooling the first battery back more than a second battery pack of the plurality of battery packs by redirecting flow of a coolant from the second battery pack to the first battery pack in response to the detected thermal event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein cooling the first battery back includes increasing a rate of cooling of the first battery pack relative to the rate of cooling of the second battery pack.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including displaying messages regarding the detected thermal event on a display device of the electric vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the displaying messages include displaying instructions to exit the electric vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including transmitting information regarding the detected thermal event to a location external to the electric vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further including at least partially powering down the electric vehicle in response to detecting the thermal event.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least partially powering down the electric vehicle includes turning off substantially all power from the battery system after a predetermined amount of time after detecting the thermal event.

8. A method of controlling the battery system of an electric vehicle, the battery system including a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including multiple battery cells electrically coupled together, comprising:

receiving data from one or more sensors coupled to each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs, the one or more sensors including a pressure sensor;

detecting, based on the received data, a thermal event in a first battery pack of the plurality battery packs; and

redirecting a coolant from the second battery pack to the first battery pack in response to the detecting.

9. The method of claim 8 , further including turning off substantially all power from the battery system after a predetermined amount of time after detecting the thermal event.

10. The method of claim 8 , further including displaying instructions on exiting the vehicle in response to detecting the thermal event.

11. The method of claim 8 , further including wirelessly sending information regarding the detected thermal event to a location remote from the electric vehicle in response to detecting the thermal event.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving data includes receiving data indicative of a gas being released from one or more battery cells of the first battery pack.

13. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a battery system including a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including (a) a pressure sensor and (b) multiple battery cells electrically coupled together; and

a control system configured to:

detect a thermal event in a first battery pack of the plurality of battery packs based at least on a signal from the pressure sensor of the first battery pack; and

redirecting flow of a coolant from the second battery pack to the first battery pack in response to the detected thermal event.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 13 , wherein each battery pack of the battery system further includes a humidity sensor, and the control system is configured to detect the thermal event based on data indicative of a gas being released from at least one battery cell of the multiple battery cells in the first battery pack.

15. The electric vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the control system is further configured to wirelessly send information regarding the detected thermal event to a location remote from the electric vehicle in response to detecting the thermal event.

16. The electric vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the control system is further configured to at least partially power down the electric vehicle in response to detecting the thermal event.

17. The electric vehicle of claim 13 , further including a display device configured to display instructions regarding exiting the vehicle in response to detecting the thermal event.

18. The electric vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the electric vehicle is a bus.

19. The electric vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the battery system is positioned under a floor of the bus.

20. The electric vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the coolant is a liquid coolant.