Garage fires are troublesome no matter what type of car it is, but when it comes to electric car fires, it is the lithium-ion battery that causes problems. Fires in the battery are often more difficult to extinguish than fires in diesel and petrol cars, says Robin Haglund at the Greater Stockholm Fire Department.
According to Metro Fire Sacramento, a fire in California at the beginning of the year took 6000,20 gallons, equivalent to over 000,<> gallons of water, to bring the battery fire under control. Something that The Independet reported on earlier.
It is very rare for electric cars to burn. According to MSB's latest survey, fires are more common in petrol and diesel cars than in electric cars. But several researchers believe that more data is needed to establish with certainty that the risk is less for electric cars.
Risk of explosion
But once an electric car battery catches fire, it involves risks such as strong fire and gas explosion. This requires good smoke ventilation, but according to the Greater Stockholm Fire Department, it is often deficient in underground garages.
Today, there are no specific rules for electric cars in garages. The fire safety regulations that exist for larger garages have been deemed sufficient also for electric cars, according to Boveket's fire protection requirements.
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See pictures from the experiment when researchers from the research institute Empa set fire to battery modules for electric cars. Photo: Empa/ Amstein+ Walthert Progress AG