The rapid growth of electric vehicles is also changing fire safety requirements in parking facilities and charging environments. During the EV FirePro Demo Days held in England, experts examined the risks associated with battery fires as well as solutions for managing and limiting fire spread.
Experts Gathered in England
Electric vehicle fire safety took centre stage as safety professionals, charging infrastructure experts, fire authorities and parking facility operators gathered for the EV FirePro Demo Days in central England. The event was hosted by Pro-Equip at its training centre in Burton upon Trent.
The seminar brought together experts mainly from the United Kingdom as well as a few international participants, including representatives from the Nordic countries. Throughout the day, discussions covered electric vehicle battery technology, the risks associated with battery fires, and emerging solutions for managing these risks in parking facilities and EV charging areas.
Pro-Equip's CEO Leigh Marsden guided participants through the future of electric vehicles and gave a tour of the impressive training facility.
Demonstrations Highlighted
Fire Behaviour in Electric Car
Participants had the opportunity to follow expert presentations and practical demonstrations. Fire investigator and Senior Officer/ Commander Martin Lown Behm presented the risks and suppression challenges associated with EV fires and simulated the behaviour of an electric vehicle fire during a live demonstration. The demonstration illustrated how flames can spread sideways as well as vertically, making EV fires particularly challenging to manage in enclosed spaces.
Read more about Martin's perspective on electric vehicle fires and EV FirePro.
Gareth Morgan, the innovator behind the EV FirePro system, presented an overview of the technology and conducted a live demonstration of the system in action.
During the event, participants also had the opportunity to examine electric vehicles and battery systems at Pro-Equip’s training facility.
In an electric car fire, several dangerous gases are released, such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), carbon monoxide (CO), metal oxides, ammonia (NH₃), and hydrocarbons. These gases can be life-threatening.
Watch EV Fire in action!
EV FirePro automatically detects a fire in an EV battery, sends a signal to the building's fire alarm and detection panel to notify the fire department, activates the warning system for residents, and initiates targeted water suppression on the underside of the vehicle.
Video: Live demonstration from the UK.
EV Fire Safety Becoming a Top Priority
Anthony Murphy, Facilities Management Consultant at Veritas Facilities Management Ltd, who attended the event, emphasised the growing importance of fire safety as EV charging infrastructure expands.
“The event wasn’t just about raising the profile of the EV FirePro product, but also about raising awareness of the risks around EV charging should something go wrong. This product highlighted serious considerations that need to be made when introducing EV charging in built-up environments, car parks, and workplaces.
For many who have installed EV charging stations, the main considerations have traditionally been the convenience of location, cable runs, and logistics. Previously, fire prevention, detection, or containment were far down the list of priorities, but for me, they now sit firmly at the top.”
International
Cooperation in
EV Fire Safety
SpiderFire also participated in the event as part of international cooperation to improve electric vehicle fire safety. The company acts as the regional distributor for the EV FirePro system in the Nordic and Benelux countries.
“We wanted to take part in the event to connect with industry experts and to learn more about battery fires. It was inspiring to see the level of interest in EV fire safety and to visit a training centre where real electric vehicles and battery systems are used for training,” says Tommi, SpiderFire.
In the picture: Martin Lown Behm and Tommi Holappa.
The EV FirePro system developed to limit the spread of fire
The demo days demonstrated that the rapid growth of electric vehicles brings new safety challenges, particularly in parking structures and charging environments. At the same time, the event highlighted the importance of managing battery fire risks and limiting fire spread at an early stage. The EV FirePro system has been developed specifically for this purpose: to limit fire spread and improve fire safety in electric vehicle charging environments.
More about: EV FirePro
SpiderFire
Tommi Holappa, CEO
tommi@spiderfire.se
tel. +46 (0)70 843 9448
Riina Aikio, COO
riina@spiderfire.se
tel. +46 (0)73 319 0614
EV Fire Safety in Focus at EV FirePro Demo Days in England