Neil Pedersen, CEO of Fire Containers Limited, recently announced new distribution agreements with Ramp Containers for the company’s innovative, patented Electric Vehicle Containment Units (EVCUs) and the latest Fire Safety Containment Units (FSCUs) in the United States.
This strategic partnership marks a significant step in addressing the unique challenges posed by electric vehicle (EV) fires in the US, offering advanced containment solutions designed to enhance safety and efficiency in firefighting operations.
This article explores how these units are poised to impact EV firefighting and the broader fire safety landscape.
The lithium-ion batteries in electric and hybrid cars present a challenge to the emergency services and recovery companies.
Now, the emergency services and the Vehicle Recovery sector across the whole of the UK (and globally) are looking for a safe solution to tackle this problem.
Cars can burst into flames a long time after they have been damaged on the roadway.
They can be exceptionally difficult to extinguish and prevent real problems in reignition during transport and storage of vehicles.
Yes, the batteries in electric and hybrid cars present numerous challenges when you look at it from the point of view of the recovery sector.
There are currently no procedures in the UK for dealing with and recovering these types of incidents.
We are seeing more and more electric and hybrid cars in the UK with an estimated 1.2 million already on the roads with a massive increase in the next few years this is likely to grow to 26 million by 2032.
The individual cells in a lithium-ion battery can be damaged in the event of a traffic accident or if there is a fire in the car.
This can result in the development of heat in the cell, which then spreads from cell to cell – also known as thermal runaway.
This chemical fire in a lithium-ion battery can develop very quickly with shooting flames and harmful toxic and flammable gases.
Heat can develop several hours after an accident has occurred, and if one cell has thermal runaway, the heat from that cell can cause the neighbouring cell to develop heat too.
This way, a single cell can start a chain reaction which can cause the battery to burst into flames a long time after an accident has taken place.
Batteries are difficult to extinguish, and they can burst into flames again several hours, days or weeks later – in some cases, up to a 2 months later in some cases.
The Police and Highways agency don’t want to close roads and motorways for many hours, so the only other option is to safely move it although there are documented cases of electric vehicles catching fire on the back of recovery vehicles by the additional airflow and vibration to the batteries whilst being towed away.
The EVCU (patented) has been cleverly designed to both detect for onboard fires and also deliver high pressure water sprays around the onboard vehicle should smoke or heat be detected which extinguish flames and cool the vehicle.
The unit is watertight and carries its own 1700 litre water supply in onboard belly tanks which is recirculated for continual cooling and firefighting.
The unit is not a submersion unit as vehicle manufacturers state that their batteries should not submerged in water as this can cause thermal runaway as electricity shorts within the battery casings and the fact is that thermal runaway can still continue underwater as the chemical reaction causes the production of Hydrogen and Oxygen.
The EVCU works by containing and extinguishing any flames exiting the battery compartment from spreading to the rest of the vehicle and therefore containing the combustion inside the battery pack until the lithium cells have burnt out or the continual cooling reduces the temperature enough to cease combustion.
Basically, it’s a completely self-contained mobile firefighting and cooling unit designed to safely remove and transport vehicles quickly from the roadway.
In the UK, The EVCU currently being carried by Jon Beech recovery (based in Staffordshire) is already being deployed regularly across Staffordshire and West Midlands region.
With the container, the procedure in the event of an accident with an electric or hybrid car will be more or less the same as an accident involving conventional cars.
It is cleared up quickly and the traffic can recommence quickly.
However, an electric car can’t be taken directly to a scrapyard or placed in proximity to flammable materials as a fire could potentially spread many days later.
Recovery operators must segregate these vehicles from any other flammables which can be by use of Concrete or brick walls, containers or any other non-flammable materials.
One of its primary advantages is the ability to quickly remove vehicles from the scene, thereby reducing the prolonged presence of fire service and other emergency personnel.
This rapid response capability also facilitates the swift reopening of roadways, greatly aiding Police and Highways departments in restoring normal traffic flow.
Another key benefit of the EVCU is its ability to fully contain contaminated water, thereby minimizing environmental impact.
The contained water can be easily transferred into containers for safe disposal.
Additionally, the EVCU allows for the continual cooling of Lithium battery packs during transit without the need to submerge the entire vehicle.
This is particularly important in managing potential battery fires.
In the event of a fully developed vehicle fire, the EVCU provides effective fire suppression.
It is equipped with smoke and heat detection systems that automatically activate the onboard sprinkler systems, accompanied by an audible alarm.
The unit includes 1,800 liters of onboard water, which is supported by a recirculating system to ensure continuous fire suppression and cooling.
If additional water is required, a header tank allows for safe replenishment.
The EVCU is also equipped with a powerful 12,000lb winching system, which enables the movement of vehicles into the container.
It is designed to accommodate vehicles ranging from cars to large vans.
To ensure efficient operation, the unit is fitted with six marine-grade pumps that supply the sprinkler bars and recirculation systems.
Its open-topped design prevents the buildup of flammable gases, thereby reducing the risk of catastrophic explosions.
All onboard systems of the EVCU can be controlled both automatically and manually, offering flexibility in its operation.
The unit can function as either a mobile recovery solution or a static storage system, depending on the situation.
The EVCU’s design is versatile, allowing it to be adapted for use on a variety of vehicles.
Moreover, it is available with telemetry systems that can notify operators of activations while in storage, enhancing its safety and effectiveness.
The closure of a major strategic network due to an incident can cost the UK economy over £1 million per hour, making the swift and safe reopening of these networks a top priority.
Recently, a large-scale exercise was conducted to simulate an electric vehicle experiencing thermal runaway within a major road network tunnel.
During this exercise, the EVCU played a crucial role in enabling the rapid and secure recovery of the EV, following a newly developed response protocol by the fire and rescue services.
The participants in the exercise were highly impressed with the EVCU’s efficiency and speed, which significantly reduced the usual delays associated with such incidents, allowing the roadway to be reopened much sooner than expected.
Fire containers are now also working on producing a semi enclosed version of the EVCU complete with safety vents and blow open panels and also a EVCU mini to be carried on smaller recovery vehicles.
For more information on the EVCU please visit Fire-containers.com or contact Neil Pedersen at neil.pedersen@fire-containers.com or call +44 7760 168767.
This article was originally published in the October 2024 issue of Fire & Safety Journal Americas.
