Fire sale: Renault has patented an EV fire fix and it’s giving it away to other car makers!
The Renault Group has announced that pioneering fire safety tech it has developed to put out EV fires faster and easier will be available to the global car industry for free in a bid to boost electric car safety.
Renault’s patented Fireman Access tech, which will be available as part of a free licence to other brands, is claimed to allow emergency service to put out a fire in an electric vehicle in around the same time as a combustion vehicle.
The tech is relatively simple and involves an adhesive disc place over an opening in the battery casing of the high-voltage battery that is sealed for normal use.
READ MORE: ICE vehicles 80 times more likely to catch fire than electric cars
READ MORE: Are EVs more of a fire hazard than ICEs?
READ MORE: General Motors’ EV gamble faces fire crisis amid battery recall
If the vehicle catches fire and the flames spread to the battery, the seal has been designed to automatically dislodge via a fire fighters high-pressure hose’s water jet.
According to Renault, even in the event of a thermal runaway, its research has found that drenching the cells in water is the only fast and effective way of ending the burn.
Renault says its tech can have a fire extinguished in just a few minutes compared with the several hours it takes for the fire to die down using traditional methods.
The new tech also puts out EV fires using ten times less volumes of water.
Seven patents have already been filed for the system and every single electric and plug-in vehicle sold by Renault, Dacia, Alpine and its Mobilize brand now has it fitted.
Despite the fears over EV fires, electric cars are statistically less likely to catch fire compared to a combustion vehicle.
But once alight are significantly more difficult to extinguish. That’s because a chemical blaze doesn’t not require the same levels of oxygen as a petrol- or diesel-fuelled fire.
Battery fires also release toxic gases and have a nasty habit of reigniting after being extinguished.
Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said: “Innovating to improve road safety is part of who we are at Renault.
“We’re particularly proud of the partnership developed with the fire services in recent years.
“Fireman Access is a practical demonstration of what can be achieved by combining our expertise as a manufacturer with the skills of the men and women who keep us safe every day.”
