Why should car parks have an electric vehicle fire blanket?
Car parks, by their very nature, are a location in which there will frequently be a high concentration of vehicles parked in close proximity to each other for extended periods of time. And car parks are one of the most common places for electric vehicle fires to start which is why every car park should have an electric vehicle fire blanket available in case of such an incident. Having an electric vehicle fire blanket on hand could quickly help to mitigate the widespread damage an EV fire has the potential to inflict on both infrastructure and human health.
It is estimated that there are between 17,000 and 20,000 car parks in the UK but how many have an electric car fire blanket is anyone’s guess. So, why do car parks need an electric car fire blanket? Why is this product so important in today’s motoring world?
The exponential rise of the electric car
Sticking with statistics, there are approximately 400,000 electric cars currently utilising the UK road network. And that figure is only set to rise as drivers across the globe flock to make the switch to electric. It’s this increase in electric cars that has highlighted a need to reassess the existing health and safety measures taken by car parks, and specifically the threats posed by electric car fires.
All of those 400,000 (and rising) electric vehicles (EHVs) have to park somewhere alongside their traditional petrol and diesel counterparts and wherever there is a high concentration of cars there is always a risk of car fire.
Thousands of car parks = thousands of cars
From shopping centres and supermarket car parks to offices and residential accommodation parking, there are literally thousands of car parks of differing formats in use across the UK and Europe 24 hours a day. The way in which a car park is traditionally sectioned out is for the maximum amount of spaces to be fitted into a specific area since car parks can be highly lucrative businesses. What’s more, as a nation of car drivers, there are millions of cars on the road that need to park every now and again!
Take leading parking service providers, Q-Park for example. The company’s European portfolio consists of more than 570,000 parking spaces distributed over 3,000 sites many of which are multi-storey car parks in city centres. With multiple floors in this type of parking facility, the risk of an electric vehicle fire is tangible and, as such, an electric vehicle fire blanket should be easily accessible on every parking level. Why?
Electric vehicle fires in car parks
There are numerous videos available to view on YouTube that show electric vehicle fires breaking out in car parks. If several electric vehicles are parked next to each other, all it takes is for one to self-ignite and achieve thermal runaway which will generate flames and sparks which result in neighbouring vehicles also catching fire.
In such scenarios where several vehicles are alight in an enclosed area, the risks to the general public and any car parking personnel must not be underestimated thanks to the highly toxic fumes generated in an electric vehicle fire.
A ‘must- have’ addition to every car park
Due to the fact that almost any car park could have an electric vehicle parked in it at any time of day or night, at least one electric vehicle fire blanket should be available to use in the event of an electric vehicle fire happening. As more and more of us switch to electric vehicles, the risk of an electric car fire occurring in a car park in any location only increases. So, an electric vehicle fire blanket is a ‘must-have’ health & safety item for every car park operator and owner.
For more information on Electric Vehicle Fire Blankets, simply give one of the Prosol UK team a call on 0114 255 7700.
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