EV car park fire guidance released

Interim fire safety guidance for parking and charging electric vehicles in covered car parks has been published by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

The guidance is intended for car park operators, designers, risk assessors and owners of covered car parks. It outlines fire safety considerations and measures to take when:

• retrofitting existing covered car parks for the provision of electric vehicles (EVs) and electric vehicle chargepoints (EVCPs)

• designing new covered car parks for the provision of EVs and EVCPs.

The guidance has been drafted by consultant Arup in consultation with fire safety groups, car park operators and the chargepoint industry.

It has ‘interim status’ because it is based on currently available research and evidence surrounding EV fires, which will continue to develop. This means it is subject to change should new evidence emerge that significantly impacts appropriate mitigation measures.

The guidance does not replace existing safety regulations or the need to comply with them.