Australia’s transition to electric cars hits a speed bump with revelations some emergency services are calling for cars to be treated in a similar way to fireworks factories.
New requirements from fire and rescue services make it almost impossible to install electric vehicle chargers in residential buildings at a time when they are in high demand, property developers say.
In Queensland and New South Wales, the rules state that electric vehicles should not be allowed into car parks without significant fire protection, including sprinklers and smoke management systems.
The advice appears to contradict guidance contained in the National Building Code, and experts are calling for urgent clarification to avoid high costs and long-term consequences.
NSW Fire and Rescue issued new rules for electric vehicles and charging stations in car parks in late April, a day before representatives were due to appear before the NSW Government’s inquiry into electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.
The guidelines state that electric vehicles should be treated as “special risks” under national guidelines and should therefore be subject to additional requirements.
According to the service’s position statement, this includes keeping vehicles and chargers outside buildings and away from doors where possible, installing fire sprinkler systems and hydrants inside, as well as improved smoke detection and alarm systems.
“NSW Fire and Rescue does not recommend that electric vehicles be parked and/or charged inside any building that is not protected by an AS 2118 fire sprinkler system,” the guidance said.
Commissioner Jeremy Futrell explained that sprinkler systems are not required in typical home garages but in buildings with underground parking that can be used by electric vehicles.
“We are asking people to have due regard and take full account of the risks associated with batteries, particularly electric vehicle batteries, should they fail,” he told the NSW Inquiry.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services issued similar advice, including providing “air handling systems”.
But Australian Building Code Council chief executive Gary Rake says the “special risks” clause in the National Building Code is designed to address unforeseen risks and should not apply to cars.
“The presence of electric vehicles in a car park is now common enough to be reasonably ‘expected’ and ‘usual’ and therefore not the original intent of the special risk provisions when they were written,” he said.
Reich says the conditions should only apply if there is an unusual mix of electric vehicles and specific building features, and while the council is reviewing car park safety, it is investigating the “global trend of vehicles being larger and containing more plastic”.
The National Building Code requires that new buildings have the necessary wiring for charging electric vehicles, and recommends installing a main isolation switch for chargers, barriers, and signs to identify their location.
Ross Di Rango, chair of the Energy and Infrastructure Council at the Electric Vehicle Council, says the current requirements are comprehensive and effective, and the additional requirements are not justified by the experience of electric vehicles in Australia or overseas.
“Special risk provisions are intended to cover unusual or unexpected circumstances and give fire services the freedom to set unique requirements,” he told AAP.
“It is perfectly reasonable to apply to fireworks plants or chemical plants, but electric vehicles registered on the road in a typical parking lot are not considered unusual or unexpected.”
The changing rules also appear to be a challenge for real estate developers, architects, designers and engineers building new apartments.
One residential developer, who asked to remain anonymous, told AAP that electric vehicle chargers had been removed from some plans due to confusing guidance and increased demands.
“That will add a significant amount of cost because these parking spaces will suddenly need a lot more infrastructure than they otherwise would have,” the developer said.
“Designers are getting all kinds of inconsistent advice… and in the absence of clear guidance, they are erring on the side of caution.”
Owners Corporation Network President Fred Tuckwell says more apartment residents are petitioning to have EV chargers installed in their parking lots, and are frustrated by the lack of clear regulations.
He adds that most electric car drivers recharge their cars at home, and it’s not unreasonable for people in apartments to want to do the same.
“These rules make it almost impossible,” he said.
“If we had to comply with NSW Fire and Rescue regulations, it would eliminate EV charging on private premises due to the enormous cost.”
Tuckwell says fire safety requirements should be based on statistics rather than “opinions”.
“Why are people demanding that electric vehicles be treated as a special risk when petrol and diesel vehicles are 10 to 20 times more likely to catch fire?” he said.
“Imposing huge sanctions and financial difficulties, including forcing people to park their cars outside, is contrary to common sense and to the real situation in the real world.”
The agency that collects data on electric vehicle fires in Australia, EV FireSafe, has verified only six fires so far, and none of them were linked to battery charging or spontaneous explosions.
Emma Sutcliffe, CEO of EV FireSafe, says the group monitors incidents in car parks, both residential and commercial, but the biggest fire risk to electric cars comes after their batteries are damaged.
“The four main causes of electric vehicle fires are road traffic collisions, immersion in floodwaters, vehicles under recall, and vehicles exposed to another fire,” she said.
“If any of these apply to you, please do not ship your car but have it checked out.”
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