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Aug 11, 2020 at 1:22 PMDekra e. V. has published guidelines for responding to burning electric vehicles. Burning batteries from electric cars pose challenges for fire departments. The publication provides assistance for tactical decisions during operations. As more electric delivery vehicles are used in transport, especially by parcel services, this is also extremely important for logistics providers.
With the increasing number of registered electric and hybrid vehicles, the number of fire department operations involving such vehicles in accidents or fires is also rising. Often, the emergency services struggle due to a lack of experience in such cases. Initiated by DEKRA Accident Research, an interdisciplinary technical information has now been created, primarily aimed at assisting fire departments.
Burning Lithium Battery a Challenge
“Vehicle fires in electric or hybrid vehicles do not necessarily occur more frequently than in conventionally powered vehicles. However, when the lithium-ion battery of such a vehicle catches fire, it can currently pose significant challenges for fire departments,” says DEKRA accident researcher Markus Egelhaaf, who is also an active member of a volunteer fire department. “To best protect the battery cells from external influences during normal operation, they are housed in a stable, waterproof, and partially thermally insulated casing. This is then installed in an area that is designed to be as minimally stressed as possible during accidents – usually below the passenger compartment. This means that the battery is not particularly easily accessible for the fire department in the event of a fire.”
That water is a suitable extinguishing agent has already been demonstrated by joint experiments of DEKRA Accident Research with a vehicle manufacturer in 2012. Water can be used to cool the battery casing to slow down the combustion process inside. Additionally, if possible, it can be sprayed directly into the battery casing to extinguish the fire there.
New Extinguishing Devices and Agents on the Market
Specialized manufacturers are gradually introducing new extinguishing devices and agents to the market or expanding existing products for use on electric vehicles. However, these are often very controversial in the fire department community. “Past fire incidents have repeatedly shown that fire departments struggle with operations involving electric vehicles. We wanted to provide assistance here,” says the DEKRA accident researcher.
Joint crash and extinguishing experiments conducted by the Institute for Traffic Accident Research at the University Medical Center Göttingen and DEKRA Accident Research in 2018 and 2019 prompted the creation of this interdisciplinary technical information. “We wanted to present the facts in a factual and understandable manner to alleviate unfounded fears and create a solid foundation for tactical decisions during operations. We found open ears among our partners,” explains Egelhaaf.
Advice from Various Experts
The guidelines were developed in collaboration with experts from fire departments, fire protection research, vehicle manufacturer associations, a manufacturer of rescue devices, the Department of Anesthesiology at the University Medical Center Göttingen, the Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association, an Austrian institute for electrical engineering and safety, and the German Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV). They are available for free download on the DGUV website.
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Photo: © Dekra
