Car parking spaces may need to get bigger to prevent risk of electric vehicle fires
A report has suggested that parking spaces for EVs should be larger
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A Government-commissioned report has suggested that car parking spaces should be made bigger and water tanks could be introduced to mitigate the risk of electric car fires.
The guidance was published for car park operators, designers and risk assessors, with the report being for the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
The report, from Arup, suggested providing increased spacing between cars, either in the design of new car parks or by re-painting parking spaces to make them larger.
This increased distance between parked cars means that if a vehicle is involved in a fire, the neighbouring car would be less exposed and less likely to become involved in the blaze.
WATCH NOW: Footage of Luton Airport car park fire
Research from the National Fire Protection Association reported that car sizes have dramatically increased in the last 40 years.
As a result, the space between cars is reduced and has made it more likely for car-to-car fires to spread, meaning larger spaces can help mitigate it.
The report indicates that it takes approximately between six and 49 minutes to extinguish an electric vehicle fire, compared to five minutes for a typical internal combustion engine vehicle.
Submersion is highlighted as a method to manage EV fires and reignition, with Switzerland and the Netherlands using these techniques.
It involves using a dedicated tank to submerge the car and battery in a bid to put out the blaze and quell the chances of it reigniting.
When the car is no longer on fire, the handling of the EV should be done away from other structures and vehicles until the battery has been removed.
Other suggestions from Arup included installing fire-resistant construction materials between electric vehicle parking bays.
A physical barrier between cars would dramatically reduce the spread of heat and flames, with the report saying these barriers could be full or partial height.
A Government spokesman said: “There is no evidence that electric vehicle fires are more likely to occur than petrol or diesel vehicle fires and it remains safe to have them in covered car parks.
“This guidance is part of our commitment to keep fire prevention, fire detection and fire-fighting under review for all vehicles and provides the industry with best practice on how to keep car parks safe,” they told the Telegraph.
Although the report was released in July, many are taking a renewed look at the issue of car fires following the devastating blaze at a car park at Luton Airport.
It is estimated that almost 1,500 cars were destroyed in the fire last week, with experts combing through the wreckage to try and retrieve personal items, although this may not be possible.
The fire was caused by a diesel-powered Range Rover which quickly resulted in the parking structure going up in flames.
APCOA, the parking operator in charge of the multi-storey car park, said it had received almost 16,500 inquiries from concerned drivers about the fire.
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The car park fire was caused by a diesel Range Rover
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A number of car insurance companies have pledged to help motorists recover from the fire by providing rental cars and waiving excess fees.