Fire chiefs say the public must be told about the huge fire risks posed by electric vehicles, as the Government presses ahead with a ban on new petrol and diesel cars.
Damaged vehicles could burst into “explosive” flames and fires could resume days after they appeared to have been extinguished according to the National Fire Chiefs Council, the professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service.
Blazes could also release toxic fumes and even the water used to put out electric vehicle fires could become poisonous and pollute the environment.
In a dramatic statement to MPs, the NFCC called for warnings to be installed at electric vehicle charging points across the country.
It said: “Increasing awareness that electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries which can cause severe and potentially explosive fires when they become faulty, damaged (mechanically or electrically) or are exposed to extreme heat is paramount.
“Thermal runaway can lead to the creation of toxic vapours and gases such as (not exhaustive) carbon monoxide, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride.
“Electric vehicle fires present new challenges for FRSs (fire end rescue services) as suppressing an electric vehicle fire requires large amounts of water and the fire can reignite hours or sometimes days later.
“Fire water that is contaminated with chemicals from battery fires is dangerous to the environment.”
Insisting it is vital to ensure safety information is presented to the public, the NFCC said: “More clear public information regarding electric vehicle chargepoint fault reporting is needed. Electric vehicle chargepoints can also provide information about the warning signs of an electric vehicle fire and what to do if an electric vehicle fire is suspected or happening.”
The comments were made in a written submission to MPs looking at progress installing electric vehicle charging points in preparation to the switch to electric vehicles.
Labour has re-instated a policy of ending the sale of new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines by 2030, after the previous Conservative government delayed the ban to 2035.
All new cars and vans will need to be 100% zero emission by 2035.
The Government says it is set to meet its target of ensuring at least 300,000 chargepoints are in place by 2030 although transport authority Transport for the North says this could fall far short of what is required, with up to 730,000 chargepoints needed.
MPs on the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee are holding an inquiry looking at the progress being made.
