AFAC releases electric vehicle doctrine

Although rare, incidents involving electric vehicles can be very risky. AFAC has developed new doctrine to help fire and emergency services respond to incidents involving electric vehicle safely.

PHOTO: OXANA MELIS / UNSPLASH

CONOR McDONALD

AFAC

The presence of electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) across Australia and New Zealand is increasing significantly. There are several industry, societal, and governmental initiatives that are driving a transition from internal combustion engine-powered vehicles to electrically powered vehicles.

According to the Electric Vehicle Council (2022), Australians now have access to 30 passenger EV models, up from 12, with 65 variants. It is expected that, in the future, Australians will have access to 31 additional EV models and six PHEVs from a range of 28 models.

There are currently 291 public fastcharging locations around Australia. State and federal government funding has been committed to support the deployment of approximately 700 additional fast-charging locations, each with multiple charging bays, over the next five years.

According to EV FireSafe’s (2021) global research, supported by the Defence Science and Technology Group and Deakin University, there is a 0.0012% chance of a passenger EV battery catching fire.

EV manufacturers use a variety of types and brands of battery cells to store energy. The most common type of battery used is a lithium-ion (or Li-ion) battery, a type of rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode (anode) through an electrolyte to the positive electrode (cathode) during discharge, and back when charging.

The competition in the battery energy storage system market revolves around the intellectual property associated with battery chemistries; that is, in the electrolyte and materials used for the anode and cathode. This presents varying levels of hazards and risks to first responders and emergency service personnel when attending incidents involving EVs.

The battery chemistry may not be easily identifiable at an incident, requiring responders to take the highest precautions available. The cooling products used to manage battery temperatures are also identified as a hazard and usually involve glycol-based automotive coolants.

As the technology in this area advances, the application of lithiumion or similar batteries in vehicles is growing exponentially. Subsequently, concerns have been identified nationally around how emergency workers should respond to incidents involving EVs.

With substantial further growth in these types of vehicles predicted, it is important that AFAC members know how to deal with such incidents safely and appropriately.

The newly released AFAC doctrine, Incidents Involving Electric Vehicles, informs fire and emergency services, along with secondary responders, about measures that can be undertaken at an incident involving EVs. It provides a basic analysis of how to take into consideration the hazards, risks, operational considerations, and residual fire risk of damaged vehicles.

The AFAC Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies Working Group will continue to address national priorities in this area as they are identified.

Download Incidents Involving Electric Vehicles from the AFAC website: www.afac.com.au/insight/doctrine/ article/current/incidents-involvingelectric-vehicles.

Developed by the AFAC Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies Working Group, the new doctrine provides guidance for incidents involving EVs.