EV fire blanket demonstrated by Fire and Rescue department of Malaysia – suitable for most vehicles

Of the several concerns regarding electric vehicle operation and ownership, the risk of fire is rare but nonetheless present. Given that thermal runaway is one of the key concerns, this poses a different challenge compared to fires involving internal combustion engined vehicles to fire and rescue departments entrusted with containing the situation.

In February this year, SIRIM QAS launched its EV fire blanket testing service and certification process. The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia has carried out a demonstration of an EV fire blanket on an electric vehicle at the ongoing 2024 Malaysia Autoshow.

Due to event constraints, the demonstration employed a smoke machine instead of setting up an actual combustion scenario. At the demonstration, the EV fire blanket used is made of a special treated high temperature fibreglass cloth, according to the Malaysia Zero Emission Vehicle Association (MyZEVA).

This has a thickness of 0.6 mm, measures six metres wide by eight metres long, and weighs 39 kg. The blanket comes with EN13501-1 NFPA 701 certification, and is suitable for use on most vehicles on the market, according to MyZEVA. The operating temperature covered by EV fire blankets is typically around 700 degrees Celsius, and has a melting point of 1,600 degrees Celsius, according to MyZEVA.

At present, the make of the EV blanket has not been specifically named, though a brief search online reveals that EV fire blankets span a price range from RM1,700 to RM4,500.

The association states that it is important for every strategically located fire and rescue station to be equipped with a supply of sufficient EV fire blankets, and recommends that importers or manufacturers of electric vehicles, as well as charge point operators (CPOs) contribute EV fire blankets to local fire stations.

MyZEVA also recommends that every commercial building has at least two EV fire blankets stored in each main control room, and the association will work with the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia to continually research more effective methods of containing EV fires, as technology in the automotive industry continues to develop.

The association also recommends that every electric vehicle sold in Malaysia includes a diagram for rescue personnel, for the purposes of providing the correct method of disconnecting relevant circuits or to relocate certain components in an emergency. MyZEVA notes that some companies have placed QR codes on their products in order to assist rescue personnel during emergency operations.

It is hoped that demonstrations such as this one will help the public gain confidence in the safety of electric vehicles, MyZEVA said.

Incidences of EV fires have been relatively few, with one that caught fire while being charged at a dealership – which was later found to be operating the charging bay without a license from the Energy Commission – and an earlier case occurring at an outdoor carpark.

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