Author: Agung Hac – Fire Safety Professional, Electrical engineer

EV will be the driving model of choice in Indonesia. This is an option because EV does not produce carbon so it is friendly to the environment. Not to mention the tax relaxation that encourages both producers and buyers to benefit from it. Then how about the glasses from the side of Fire Safety?

EV itself is a vehicle with a 100% battery source. Which means this is not a PHEV or Hybrid, let alone a Fuel Cell (H²). Batteries that are commonly used are Lithium or Nickel types, then what becomes a problem is when the battery experiences problems or damage which causes 3 things

1. Impact damage (crash, cut)
2. Internal damage (overcharge, undercharge)
3. Damage due to exposure to heat (radiant heat)

These three things will cause a Thermal Runway, where the temperature will significantly increase and cause a phase change to gas. Then the anode will produce enough oxygen to cause a battery explosion.

A burnt battery will generate heat in excess of 1200°C and cause radiant heat. This is the initial cause of the chain of explosions in the battery.

The NFPA mentions at least 2,700 US Gallons of Water to extinguish 1 EV car and more for larger vehicles.

Preventive steps are a crucial part. Because the EVs that we know are not only cars but also bicycles and motorcycles and even buses and trucks.

1. Make sure the Charging Station is equipped with automatic protection devices and manual cut-off of electricity
2. If at home, make sure to put the EV in an open place and not in the house
3. Plan an evacuation route for EV owners at home
4. Prepare an effective extinguishing device in accordance with the risks posed.
5. Keep an eye on vehicles that have been extinguished from the fire, for the possibility of ignition again (reignition)
6. Keep other flammable objects within a radius of 15 meters (50 Feet)
7. Perform periodic maintenance and ask for an explanation of how healthy the battery’s internal resistance (IR) is. The bigger the IR, the worse the internal battery is.
8. If you are a towing company, make sure the EV vehicle is safe from a thermal runway or reignition
9. If you are an inter-island shipping / crossing company that transports EV vehicles, make sure to make appropriate preventive and handling procedures

The battery is a type of energy storage (energy storage) so that the heat generated when burning will be very dangerous. In contrast to the Fuel Cell whose job is to produce energy (Generates Energy)