Renault shares EV fire suppression breakthrough with all manufacturers

Renault Group has developed and freely licensed a new system that aims to extinguish electric-vehicle (EV) fires in minutes rather than hours.

Known as Fireman Access, it offers a direct and more efficient way to stop lithium-ion battery blazes, using substantially less water than current methods.

The Fireman Access kit consists of an adhesive disc placed over a pre-cut opening in the vehicle’s battery casing. Under water pressure from a standard fire hose, the disc dislodges, allowing water to quickly reach every cell in the battery. The French carmaker estimates this technology can reduce extinguishing times to those seen in combustion-engine fires, using up to ten times less water in the process.

Having already implemented Fireman Access across its electric and plug-in hybrid models, Renault is now opening its patents via a free licence to other vehicle manufacturers. The innovation follows longstanding collaboration with the emergency services and is intended to simplify and speed up the safe handling of EV battery fires, which can reignite and release toxic fumes even after they appear to be out.

Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said: “Fireman Access is a practical demonstration of what can be achieved by combining our expertise as a manufacturer with the skills of the men and women who keep us safe every day. Today, I’m delighted to be making this innovation freely available, because when it comes to a subject like safety, we need to break down all the barriers.”