The Malaysian fire and rescue department (Bomba) says that the public need not be concerned about the risk of electric vehicle (EV) fires, as these are rare and the country has yet to record any cases of such fires at charging facilities in petrol stations, the Sarawak Tribune reports.
“To date, there have been no EV fire cases at petrol stations. However, we did record one case in Johor where an EV caught fire while charging at a service centre. Investigations with the car manufacturer and our expert team found that the fire was not caused by the power supply or charging unit, but rather pre-existing damage within the battery capsule, which led to a short circuit between cells,” said Bomba Malaysia director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad.
The case he was referring to was the incident where a Mercedes-Benz EQB was completely consumed by fire while charging at a dealership in Johor at the end of 2023. It was then reported that the company operating the charging bay was found to be operating without a license from the Energy Commission, but as it now turns out, the fire had nothing to do at all with the charge point operator.
Nor Hisham said said that statistically, incidents involving EVs catching fire are significantly lower and pose less risk compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Despite this, he acknowledged that EV fires pose certain challenges, especially when they happen in confined areas and also due to the nature of lithium-ion batteries, which can sometimes reignite within 72 hours after being extinguished.
Nonetheless, he assured that Bomba has knowledge of how to tackle EV fires and has measures in place to contain them and remove affected vehicles swiftly when incidents occur in open spaces.
He added that Bomba has introduced guidelines based on global best practices and regulatory standards to ensure that all new EV charging projects in commercial premises and areas, including those located in basements, adhere to stringent safety measures.
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