EV fire safety in garages

Warning that parking garages need to take action to ensure fire safety as the number of electric cars (EVs) increases. The Netherlands Public Safety Institute (NIPV) underlines that EV fires are particularly difficult to extinguish, release harmful substances and that in open parking garages fire can spread to other vehicles and then endanger the building structure. Nearly 10% of cars on the road in the Netherlands are today EVs, and this is expected to continue to increase, with also more ageing EVs. The number of EV fires in The Netherlands has increased from below 60 in 2021 to over 200 in 2024. The cause of EV fires is unclear, but is often not charging. NIPV indicates that sprinklers are ineffective on EVs and says garages must take measures, but does not indicate what measures are possible. pinfa suggests that flame retardants can reduce flammability of car components and of batteries, although they cannot prevent battery thermal runaway, so that other measures are also needed, such as safer battery design and fire safety compartmentalisation of garage spaces.

“Fire safety of parking garages at risk due to electric cars” (translated) NOS Netherlands, 11 January 2025 https://nos.nl/artikel/2551284-brandveiligheid-parkeergarages-in-geding-door-elektrische-auto-s