Electric truck fire risks assessed

Commissioned by Connected Places Catapult, part of Innovate UK, the new study considers the likelihood and severity of fire risks. The report – eHGV Battery Fire Risks – also identifies control measures that will minimise the risk of fire spreading from one electric HGV to another or to other site assets, avoiding the potential escalation of otherwise minor incidents.

“The call to action from this report is clear,” said Tom Marsh, systems engineer at Connected Places Catapult. “It is essential for eHGV charging site developers to perform quantitative fire risk assessments so that knowledge of battery fires can be improved, and early eHGV charging infrastructure can deployed safely.”

Incidents of electric passenger car and bus fires have shown substantial thermal energy being almost impossible to extinguish, says the report. Having significantly larger batteries therefore suggests fire incidents involving electric HGVs could be more severe.

Expanded spacing between vehicles or infrastructure at electric HGV depots, parking stops, charging sites and loading bays will be effective, it says.

However, sites with restricted space will need careful layout and further control measures, including physical fire barriers, isolation areas, emergency services’ access routes and improved fire detection and control systems.

London Fire Brigade reported 1,389 fire accidents involving lithium-ion batteries between January 2017 and July 2024. The majority (417) of those related to e-bikes, with electric cars accounting for 23% of incidents (321) and 20 lithium-ion fires involving trucks.

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