CAR parks may need to be made bigger after increasing fears over EV fires, a new report has claimed.
Concerns have been raised over battery-powered motors parked inside indoor car parks, with current fire safety laws dangerously out of date to tackle the risks they pose.
GettyParking bays may need to be made wider after increasing fears over electric vehicles bursting into flames[/caption]
According to a goverment-commissioned report in the Telegraph, ministers and firefighters have become fearful over electric cars bursting into flames as they present much more of a risk than traditional vehicles.
They warn that fire safety guidance for England’s car parks has not been “updated significantly” since the 1960s and doesn’t reflect dangers presented by modern cars, including EVs.
Areas of concern include explosions of flammable vapour clouds emitted by EV batteries, along with jets of fire and toxic water run-off from firefighting.
A further risk is the concerns over electric vehicle fires reigniting hours later and multiple times, with the fires harder to extinguish than those of petrol or diesel cars.
A series of recommendations for changes to fire safety rules have been made including more space being between parked cars, which could see parking bays made larger by 90cm to 1.2m between vehicles.
GettyCurrent fire safety laws are said to be dangerously out of date to tackle risks posed by modern cars, including EVs[/caption]
It’s also been suggested that distances between indoor car parks need to be greater to stop fires spreading between buildings.
This new report comes just days after motorists were left stunned by the Luton Airport car park blaze which destroyed up to 1,500 cars.
The inferno is thought to have been ignited by a diesel vehicle that had just entered the building.
A source claimed the driver was forced to leap from the car while it was still moving to escape the flames.
From there, fire ripped through the building, with firefighters forced to work through the night to try and bring the blaze under control.
Fire specialists have claimed the inferno has left the car park too dangerous to assess, leaving drivers in misery as ALL vehicles in the car park could end up being destroyed.
Residents of Luton were also shocked when a £25,000 Kia burst into flames while being driven along a main road.