The car park

Sergio Fernandez said:

Should all UK Car Parks apart from Open air have 
Fire detection with 24/7/365 monitoring with backup power supply
Increase amount of manual fire call points per floor and throughout stairwells to increase evacuation alert
EVSE auto shut off for power in the event of a fire or an alarm
Battery backup for emergency lights for a min of 6 hours
Increased amount of illuminated fire exits signs
Fire resistant cabling throughout
Fire restitant cable management/containment throughout
Increase IP rating throughout in case of fire due to the amount of water that may be used
Annual EICR
Technology/Mechanisms to assist evacuation of disabled and mobility impaired persons, this could include evacuation lift replacing the passenger lift

There have, in recent years, been a couple of very serious and devastating fires in multi-storey car parks caused by vehicles setting on fire in England, for example:

•  Liverpool Echo Arena (King's Dock) car park fire: https://www.merseyfire.gov.uk/media/1592/kings-dock-car-park-fire-sir.pdf
•  Luton Airport car park fire: https://www.bedsfire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-10/Significant%20Incident%20Report%20LLA%20Car%20Park%202%20fire.pdf 

It is my understanding that, in neither of these cases were the vehicles that started the fire electric vehicles.

So, in answer to the question ... 'Yes, probably ... but not just because of electric vehicles.'

Sergio Fernandez said:

Should all UK Car Parks apart from Open air have 
Fire detection with 24/7/365 monitoring with backup power supply
Increase amount of manual fire call points per floor and throughout stairwells to increase evacuation alert
EVSE auto shut off for power in the event of a fire or an alarm
Battery backup for emergency lights for a min of 6 hours
Increased amount of illuminated fire exits signs
Fire resistant cabling throughout
Fire restitant cable management/containment throughout
Increase IP rating throughout in case of fire due to the amount of water that may be used
Annual EICR
Technology/Mechanisms to assist evacuation of disabled and mobility impaired persons, this could include evacuation lift replacing the passenger lift

There have, in recent years, been a couple of very serious and devastating fires in multi-storey car parks caused by vehicles setting on fire in England, for example:

•  Liverpool Echo Arena (King's Dock) car park fire: https://www.merseyfire.gov.uk/media/1592/kings-dock-car-park-fire-sir.pdf
•  Luton Airport car park fire: https://www.bedsfire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-10/Significant%20Incident%20Report%20LLA%20Car%20Park%202%20fire.pdf 

It is my understanding that, in neither of these cases were the vehicles that started the fire electric vehicles.

So, in answer to the question ... 'Yes, probably ... but not just because of electric vehicles.'

gkenyon said:

It is my understanding that, in neither of these cases were the vehicles that started the fire electric vehicles.

So, in answer to the question ... 'Yes, probably ... but not just because of electric vehicles.'

Interesting report on the Liverpool fire. "Running fuel" would not have come from EVs.

gkenyon said:

It is my understanding that, in neither of these cases were the vehicles that started the fire electric vehicles.

So, in answer to the question ... 'Yes, probably ... but not just because of electric vehicles.'

I am not trying to vilify the EV but fires do happen in car parks.  There initial cause could be by 
Malfeasance
Mechanical fault
Electrical fault
Vehicle fault

This initial cause/fault can be put aside for the moment but how the fire is detected and the alert systems used for evacuation should be more pressing as well as technology and mechanisms to help deal with the fire.  Eg A lit cigarette dropped on some rubbish could be the start of the fire but once there is a fire it starts/could start to spread from Vehicle to Vehicle and then potentially from one floor to another which could possibly be up as well as down due to gases and liquids in the car park.

Then you can start to factor in things like blocks of flats with parking structures beneath dwellings which is becoming more common place in the UK

Sergio Fernandez said:

Eg A lit cigarette dropped on some rubbish could be the start of the fire but once there is a fire it starts/could start to spread from Vehicle to Vehicle and then potentially from one floor to another which could possibly be up as well as down due to gases and liquids in the car park.

But, as demonstrated in the fires I cited, isn't this an issue anyway (i.e. nothing to do with EVs)?

gkenyon said:

But, as demonstrated in the fires I cited, isn't this an issue anyway (i.e. nothing to do with EVs)?

The EV does not need to be the root cause of the fire BUT once the EV/EVs starts to catch fire it is a lot harder to exstinguish than an ICE during which time more and more vehicles catch fire.  At the moment only a certain % of the car park will be EV but as EVs become more popular/main stream the percentage of EVs in a car park will increase.  Worth noting that it is becoming more common place for a block of flats to have car parking below.  

Sergio Fernandez said:

The EV does not need to be the root cause of the fire BUT once the EV/EVs starts to catch fire it is a lot harder to exstinguish than an ICE during which time more and more vehicles catch fire.

Accepting that EV fires may be more difficult to extinguish, is there any evidence that fire spreads more easily between them? After all, once the fuel tank of an ICE vehicle ruptures, the fire is just going to spread to under neighbouring vehicles.

It is worth looking at the studies and design aspects of RoRo ships, which are just moving Car Parks. The LASH FIRE webinar on Youtube is quite interesting for design issues - it included a live demo (during a webinar!!).

Once thermoplastics and rubber (the modern plastic car) get ignited, the alternative fuels sources are the lesser worry (IIRC).