Risk of fire in buildings is a challenge for electric cars – 12/01/2023 – Market

Carrying 50 liters of gasoline from one place to another doesn’t seem safe, but that’s what happens to millions of cars around the world every day. Seen from this side, electric cars seem to be even more user-friendly. But not quite.

Videos in which scooters burn in garages and crashed Teslas burn like fireworks reveal a new problem: the difficulty in controlling battery fires.

“It is relatively more difficult to control flames due to the chemical composition present in lithium-ion batteries. When they catch fire, they can produce high and intense flames, without the possibility of extinguishing”, says the faculty at Flex Company Trainings, a technical school that offers training for maintenance and handling of hybrid and electric vehicles.

Due to the complexity of the topic, the institution chose to create a committee of professors to answer the questions sent by the report. Experts also said that there is a risk that, even after the power is cut, the fire will continue for a long time.

“There are substances in batteries with chemical compounds such as lithium itself, which is a reactive metal and can cause serious burns; phosphorus, which is also a flammable element and can fuel flames; and cobalt, which can release toxic gases in case of fire.”

The probabilities show that this is not a case for panic, but rather for prevention. According to data released in 2022 by the NTSB (acronym in English for the US National Transportation Safety Board), there are, on average, 25.1 fires for every 100,000 electric cars in circulation. The number rises to 1,529 per 100,000 in the case of cars with a combustion engine.

If the worst happens, the situation is especially worrying in garages, as warned by architect Paulo de Tarso Souza, who has more than 20 years of experience with buildings.

“If there is a fire inside the underground parking lot of a building, there is no rescue vehicle capable of getting in,” he says. “It is necessary to create standards to guarantee some protection, and the underground is always more complicated.”

“What should concern architects, engineers and builders is our ability to predict, prevent and protect properties from bad companies”, says Souza, referring to possible problems with installations or adaptations involving charging points.

With the future massification of electric and hybrid cars with plug-in technology (which can also be recharged through sockets), it may be necessary to change the power grid of buildings that are not prepared for this.

Electrical engineer Victorio da Cruz Amaral, specialized in projects for condominiums, states that the installation of a charging station must comply with the NBR 17.019 standard of ABNT (Brazilian Association of Technical Standards).

“By following the rules, the risk is minimized to the smallest possible factor. Every electric vehicle already comes with its respective protections, and the charging station also has components that protect the entire system”, says the expert. “Work well done does not generate risk.”

Amaral explains that a 7 kW (kilowatt) charging station – like those found in some shopping malls – absorbs a lower power than that recorded in an electric shower (7.5 kW). “In an old building, no one cares if every resident installs an extra electric shower in their apartment.”

The engineer also says that the plugs must use the highest power electrical infrastructure available in the condominium. “Energy demand calculations must be made both individually and collectively, so the most appropriate and safe solution can always be found for each condominium.”

Thiago Castilha, director of the E-Wolf charger company, also states that, if all standards are followed, there will be no risk. However, he says that non-standard services bring serious problems.

“There are installation companies deriving circuits for chargers, which can be very dangerous, as the charging current of an electric vehicle can reach up to 32A (amperes) and it is not known what the circuit is built into the wall, for example. Is it overloaded? Are there hot spots? Are there splices?”

Davi Bertoncello, CEO of Tupinambá Energia, says that it is necessary to use protection devices, such as the one that interrupts the supply in the event of an electric current leak. “Its main function is to protect people from shocks that may be caused by equipment connected to the electrical network.”

The executive also mentions the equipment that protects the system in the event of a light spike.

“Among the most common errors observed in installations, there is undue exposure to the elements, the lack of protection devices against electric shocks, the use of undersized cables and poorly tightened electrical terminals, which can result in poor contact and overheating”, says Bertoncello, who also mentions the responsibilities of the electrician.

“The professional responsible for the installation must provide an ART [Anotação de Responsabilidade Técnica] that describes the technical service to be carried out, ensuring the conformity of the electrical project and the consumer’s peace of mind.”

The executive states that an alternative is the implementation of shared charging stations in the condominium, where users carry out and pay for their recharges through a specific application.

Lawyer Tatiana Dratovsky Sister, partner in the commercial contracts area at BMA, says that, when it comes to an individual demand for the installation of a charging point in a designated space, it is generally the owner who must bear the costs.

“Even in this situation, the resident must obtain prior and express authorization from the property manager and the condominium council or assembly.”

Regarding legislation, Tatiana says that, to date, there is no national law on charging points for electric cars in condominiums.

“In the city of São Paulo, however, municipal law No. 17,336/2020 is already in force, which makes charging stations mandatory in all new condominiums since the building’s design,” says the lawyer.

“The law also provides for the individualization of measurement of consumption at charging points in common use, but does not specify how charging should be done.”

Even if all technical specifications are followed, there will still be a risk of fire due to a problem with the vehicle. This week, Jaguar announced the recall of the electric i-Pace, which may overheat. The solution to the problem lies in updating the software, a service that takes around an hour to complete, according to the brand.

“A thermal overload condition of the vehicle, with the presence of flames or smoke, could, in turn, lead to a fire in the high voltage battery, which could spread throughout the vehicle. This could result in a risk of serious injury to occupants of the vehicle and/or third parties”, says the statement released by the company.

In cases like this, the manufacturer is responsible.

“Automakers have a responsibility to make a safe electric car that leaves the factory without this type of risk,” says Klaus Mello, engineering manager at Ford in the United States. He worked on developing electric versions of the F-150 pickup truck and Mustang Mach-E.

“What can happen are things like the user making some changes to the vehicle or an accident occurring that is outside the scenarios we analyzed, but it is up to companies to present solutions.”

Victor Cruz, founder and CEO of Vela Bikes, also points to misuse as one of the causes of electric bicycle fires that recently caused concern in the USA.

“We closely monitor the fires abroad, especially in New York. We know that the majority of cases are related to two main factors: low-cost models with savings in the battery management system and low-quality services hoping to restore life of old batteries.”

According to Cruz, the batteries on Vela bikes are cylindrical in shape and can be removed. Recharging can be done inside the apartment, but some care must be taken.

“Using non-original chargers, of inadequate specification, can overcharge the battery and overheat the cells. If this overheating is not controlled, it can cause complete loss of the battery or even a fire”, says the CEO.

“Normally the care should be more on the charger, the connector and the battery itself, but there is not much care on the electrical network, as the charger has low consumption, similar to that of a notebook power supply.”

For architect Paulo de Tarso Souza, if there is a possibility of a fire occurring, there is also an obligation to create an appropriate protocol for installations in buildings, accompanied by standardized rules to combat fires in electric cars.

“I’m a pessimist,” says the architect.