An Australian-developed fire suppression system designed for electric vehicle (EV) parking bays has received independent international validation, marking a major step forward in EV safety.

The EV FirePro system, created by EV Fire Protection, has been independently tested and verified by Applus+ Laboratories in Spain, confirming its effectiveness and compliance with global standards. Testing was conducted overseas due to the lack of dedicated EV fire facilities in Australia.

EV FirePro activates beneath vehicles to target the source of lithium-ion battery fires with vertical and lateral water spray, suppressing flames, reducing heat spread and creating safer conditions for emergency responders. During testing, no fire spread to nearby vehicles, and ceiling temperatures stayed below 250°C.

“With global EV sales projected to exceed 200 million by 2030, the risks associated with EV fires in confined environments are only increasing,” EV Fire Protection director Gareth Morgan says.

“Our system was engineered from the ground up to contain these fires at the source and prevent escalation.”

Fire protection experts, including Jussef Liban and Martin Lown BEM, praised EV FirePro’s under-vehicle approach as a breakthrough in managing thermal runaway events and limiting fire spread.

Gareth says the independent validation positions the Australian innovation for international rollout.