06.1 - EV & EV Charging Fire Safety for Buildings
How safe are electric vehicles & EV charging in buildings from fire?
Fire safety advice for EVs & EV charging in buildings
We're delighted to have assisted the Australian Building Code Board develop foundational & sensible guidance for the safe use, storage & charging of electric vehicles in buildings.
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Our data indicates EVs have a far lower risk of fire than internal combustion engine vehicles, findings we benchmark against country & manufacturer data globally.
But, as with all new technology, there are new risks & challenges when EV battery fires in buildings do occur & we continue to work towards methods & innovations to protect life & property, while also enhancing safety for emergency responders.
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The ACBC Advisory Note has been endorsed by the Australian Building Ministers in their June 2023 Communique, & is drawn from our report Electric Vehicle & Charging Safety for Emergency Response, commissioned by the ABCB & delivered in September 2022.
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The ABCB note contains sensible, low cost, low visual impact EV fire safety considerations for building developers, owners & managers, & reduces the risk of sub-standard charging units & installation as the rapid rollout of charging infrastructure continues.
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Of course, as our collective data, testing & knowledge in this space continues to mature, all information will be reviewed & updated where required.
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View the Advisory Notice here
Watch our explainer webinar here.
ABCB Advisory Note June 2023
Electric Vehicles in Buildings
Click on image to download PDF
EV FireSafe - Electric Vehicle & Charging Safety for Emergency Response
Electric Vehicle & Charging Safety for Emergency Response
Click on image to download PDF
Building Ministers Meeting Communique June 2023
Click on image to jump to URL
Guidance & information - EV ready buildings
IFV (Netherlands) Research sprinkler system parking garage
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Click on image to download Word doc (translated)
IFV (Netherlands) Fire in the Singel garage Alkmaar (fire investigation report)
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Click on image to download Word doc (translated)
QFES Electric vehicle charging stations and electric vehicle carparks
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To external link on QFES website
City of London Guidance on the Installation of Fast, Rapid & Super Vehicle Charging Units
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Publicly available document
EV FireSafe data analysis
These documents remain the property of EV FireSafe & cannot be used or shared with permission.
Data overview & case studies May 2022
EV high voltage battery vapour cloud explosion, within a structure, while connected to energised charging
Passenger EV LiB thermal runaway with clear images of battery pack during & post incident
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Image & information collated by EV FireSafe's global database 2010-present (September 2022)
Relevant past incidents
Literature reviews
Interesting videos
Media articles
NTSB - Safety Risks to Emergency Responders from Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Electric Vehicles​
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Handling Lithium-Ion Batteries in Electric Vehicles: Preventing and Recovering from Hazardous Events
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Thermal Runaway of Lithium-Ion Batteries without Internal Short Circuit
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Risk management over the life cycle of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles
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2019 RISE - Fire Safety of Lithium-Ion Batteries in Road Vehicles
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Feb 2020: A Review of Battery Fires in Electric Vehicles
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2017 China Coal Science & Engineering Experimental Study of Fire and Explosion Suppression of self-ignition of lithium ion battery
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UN Global Technical Regulation on the Electric Vehicle Safety (EVS)
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NFPA: Stranded Energy in Electric Vehicles and Firefighting Challenges
Dutch Fire Services - EV Fires
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Vehicles recalled due to fire risk
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BMW recalls plug-in hybrid models due to fire risk
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GM recalls 68,667 Chevy Bolt EVs
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e-Bus depot fire separator concept animation
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CNBC Fires, probes, recalls: The shift to electric vehicles is costing automakers billions
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Bloomberg: No One Seems to Care That EVs Are Catching Fire
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NBC Federal regulators warn of risks to firefighters from electrical vehicle fires
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Fleet Auto News: Vehicle fire data suggests higher incident rate for EVs
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https://www.facebook.com/uniladmag/posts/9275664719123171
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