Frequently Asked Questions
What are the chances of an electric vehicle battery catching fire?
Very low! However, when battery fires do occur, significant damage can ensue. In buildings, fires can spread to other vehicles and the intensity can be sufficient to cause structural damage. This is one reason why Fire Brigades class EV fires as ‘HAZMAT’ incidents.
What is thermal runaway?
Thermal runaway is a process that occurs when a damaged battery cell goes into fault and generates heat. The heat from one battery cell can impact adjacent batteries within a module causing additional faults. Left to propagate, the thermal runaway process spreads from module to module, eventually involving the entire battery pack. Lithium-ion battery fires are ‘self oxidizing’ meaning traditional inert extinguishants, which starve a fire of oxygen, are ineffective.
Why do EV fires present challenges to fire-fighters?
Fire brigades have been attending fires involving traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) for decades. The average timeframe for extinguishing ICEV fires in Australia is 20 minutes. An EV battery in thermal runaway often results in a fire that cannot be extinguished and may last for many hours. Lithium-ion battery fires are ‘self-oxidizing’, rendering traditional inert extinguishants ineffective. This, combined with EV batteries being located in the undercarriage of most electric vehicles, poses challenges for fire-fighters in delivering water to the heat source for cooling and to prevent fire spread.
Can EV FirePro be installed in the home?
YES! With a domestic water tank and a high flow electric water pump, EV FirePro can be installed into your home garage giving you the most effective targeted fire suppression on the market to protect your loved ones and your home.
So how does EV FirePro assist?
Permanently installed into a car parking bay, EV FirePro automatically detects an EV battery fire, sends a signal to the building’s fire detection and alarm panel notifying fire brigade, initiating the occupant warning system and activating targeted water suppression to the undercarriage of the vehicle. Upon arrival, fire crews can connect their hose to a connection point remote to the parking bay to further boost the water supply to the EV FirePro fire fighting system. The EV FirePro system is intended to contain a fire to the fire-affected vehicle and assist to minimise fire spread to adjacent vehicles or building elements.
What are the differences between an EV fire and an internal combustion engine vehicle fire?
Intervention methods with fires involving internal combustion engine vehicles are commonplace with fire brigade training worldwide. In the unlikely event of an EV fire, the emerging technology presents significant challenges to attending fire crews. Hazards such as explosive vapor clouds, toxic gas release and super heated jet flames, can hamper intervention efforts and put firefighters in danger. In these scenarios, firefighters often apply water suppression from above to control heat release and prevent fire spread from vehicle to vehicle. These issues are further exacerbated by the inability to apply water to the undercarriage of an EV – the heat source.
What testing has been done?
We have conducted our own ‘in-house’ testing of the EV FirePro fire suppression system. Using a mockup of a vehicle undercarriage and a known heat source, thermocouples located on a panel simulating an adjacent parked vehicle, where used to capture heat release data from 3 high-flow propane burners.
The data logging thermometer measured the effect the EV FirePro system had on the heat release. Results show an average heat reduction of nearly 85%.
We are conducting full-scale testing with electric vehicles in Spain in January 2025
What is the water flow rate of EV FirePro?
The maximum flow rate of the EV FirePro system is 8 Liters / second (127 US gallons / minute). The maximum working pressure of the system is 750 kPa (7.5 bar). For comparison, a single fire hydrant outlet serving a typical Australian building is required to flow at 10 Liters / second. EV Fire Protection recommends the EV FirePro fire suppression system is connected to a domestic water supply which is capable of flowing at minimum 8 Liters / second.