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What is the fire risk of electric cars parked in garages?

I hear news reports of battery fires. Do you think its safe to garage an EV at a residential property? Particularly in a garage which is attached or integral to the house.

Apart from regular service schedule checks are there any special recommendations/precautions being specified by manufacturers or others?

Asked on 9 August 2023 by HJB

Answered by David Ross
As a general rule the risk of fire in an EV is equivalent to or less than the risk for a conventional petrol or diesel car because of the safety measures that manufacturers have taken. EV fires have attracted more attention because they can be more difficult to extinguish due to thermal runaway, so an EV that catches fire more often results in the entire car being burned out.

We would always recommend you follow the manufacturer's guidance for driving, storing and charging an electric vehicle, so unless it specifically indicates that it should not be stored in a garage there should be no additional risk in doing so.
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