EV Fire Risk: What Independent Dealers and Workshops Need to Know
The used EV market is growing. As early-adoption vehicles come off finance and out of warranty, independent dealers are stocking more electric vehicles than ever before. Independent workshops are increasingly being asked to service them. For most businesses, that shift has meant learning new technical skills and investing in new equipment. The fire risk question is one that fewer businesses have addressed directly, partly because EV fires are still relatively rare, and partly because the information available is often written for emergency services rather than the people who store and work on the vehicles day to day.
This article is an attempt to set out what the risk actually looks like for dealers and workshops, what the relevant guidance says, and what practical steps are available.
Why EV fires behave differently
The fires that occur in lithium-ion battery packs are driven by a process called thermal runaway. This is a self-reinforcing chemical reaction within the battery cells: heat causes a chemical breakdown, which generates more heat, which accelerates the breakdown further. Once thermal runaway starts in a battery pack, it is extremely difficult to stop from the outside.
The practical consequences of this are significant. An EV fire burns at much higher temperatures than a typical petrol or diesel vehicle fire. It releases toxic gases including hydrogen fluoride, which requires specific protective equipment for anyone approaching. And it requires very large volumes of water to cool the battery pack sufficiently to stop the reaction, sometimes in excess of tens of thousands of litres for a single vehicle. Standard fire suppression systems designed for ICE vehicle environments are not adequate for a battery fire of this kind.
The reignition risk is the aspect that catches many people off guard. A battery that appears to have been extinguished can reignite hours or, in some documented cases, days later, because the thermal runaway process may have continued within cells that were not fully cooled. The National Fire Chiefs Council guidance on EV fires specifically addresses reignition and recommends that fire services treat EVs as a reignition risk for 24 hours minimum after initial suppression.
None of this means EVs are inherently dangerous vehicles. The statistical likelihood of an EV catching fire is low. The relevant question for dealers and workshops is not whether EV fires happen often, but what the consequences are when they do, and whether the site is prepared for it.
The specific risks for dealers and workshops
The risk profile for a dealer or workshop is different from the risk profile for an individual EV owner, for several reasons.
Proximity and density
A private EV owner parks one vehicle. A dealer may have several EVs in stock in close proximity to each other and to ICE vehicles. A workshop may have customer EVs in bays alongside other vehicles. A fire in one vehicle that is not contained quickly creates a material risk to adjacent vehicles and to the building itself.
Indoor storage
Many dealer forecourts use covered display areas, showrooms, or underground storage. The NFCC guidance is explicit that a burning EV should be kept away from buildings where possible and that indoor EV fires present significantly greater challenges for fire services. A dealer storing EVs in an indoor or semi-enclosed space needs to take that guidance seriously.
Charging overnight
Battery fires can be triggered by charging faults, particularly in vehicles with degraded or damaged battery management systems. Leaving vehicles on charge overnight in an unmonitored environment increases the window during which a thermal event could develop without early detection.
Damaged or flooded vehicles
A workshop that accepts damaged vehicles, or a dealer who sources stock through salvage or auction, may encounter EVs with compromised battery systems. A battery that has been in a collision or exposed to water ingress carries a higher risk of thermal events, sometimes days or weeks after the initial damage, as internal short circuits develop. This is a specific risk that is not always well understood when buying damaged EV stock.
Staff training and response
Most workshop staff are trained in how to respond to a petrol or diesel vehicle fire. That training is not transferable to an EV battery fire. The first priority in any EV fire event is evacuation and contacting the fire service, not attempting to suppress the fire with on-site equipment. Staff who understand this respond correctly. Staff who do not may put themselves at risk.
What the guidance says
The NFCC has published specific guidance for emergency services responding to EV fires, which is publicly available. The relevant points for dealers and workshops include the recommendation to keep burning EVs away from buildings and other vehicles, the reignition warning, and the volume of water required for suppression.
From an insurance perspective, UK insurers are increasingly including EV-specific questions in motor trade policy renewals. Whether a business stores EVs, whether it has EV-specific fire detection, and whether it has a documented procedure for EV incidents are becoming standard lines of enquiry. A business that cannot answer these questions clearly may find its position on a claim is weaker than expected, or that its premium reflects an undisclosed risk.
Building regulations are relevant for businesses installing EV charging infrastructure. Decisions about charger location, cable routing, and proximity to fuel storage all carry implications for fire spread that are worth taking professional advice on before installation.
Practical steps for dealers and workshops
The following are starting points, not a comprehensive risk assessment. Specific guidance should be sought from a fire safety professional who understands the motor trade environment.
- Establish a clear procedure for what staff should do if they suspect an EV battery issue: who to call, where to move the vehicle if it is safe to do so, and how to alert the fire service. Write it down and make sure everyone knows it.
- Review where EVs are stored and whether that location creates proximity risks. If EVs are stored indoors or in a covered area, consider whether the fire detection system covers that area effectively and whether suppression systems are appropriate for an EV fire.
- If you accept damaged or flood-affected EV stock, implement a holding period and inspection protocol before the vehicle is brought onto the main forecourt or into a workshop bay.
- Check your motor trade insurance policy for EV-specific clauses. If the policy does not address EV storage and servicing explicitly, speak to your broker.
- Identify who in your business is responsible for fire risk and ensure they are aware of the NFCC guidance. If no one currently has that responsibility, assign it.
- If you install or plan to install EV charging infrastructure, take specific professional advice on placement and fire separation before proceeding.
Specialist EV fire suppression
Standard fire suppression systems, including traditional sprinkler systems and CO2 suppression, are not designed to address thermal runaway in lithium-ion battery packs. Specialist EV fire suppression systems work differently: they are designed to flood the battery pack directly with water or other coolants to interrupt the thermal runaway process at source, rather than addressing the external fire.
Torque DMS has partnered with Checkfire, a specialist in EV fire control systems, to help dealers and workshops understand what protection is available and appropriate for their sites. Checkfire works with motor trade businesses across the UK on EV fire risk assessment and suppression system specification. Their team can advise on what is required for your specific site, whether that is a single-bay independent workshop or a dealer with multiple indoor storage areas.
The partnership exists because we see the same question coming from dealers and workshops with increasing frequency, and because the answer requires specialist knowledge that most businesses do not have in-house. Checkfire provides that knowledge independently of any software or management system consideration.
The practical reality
The probability of an EV fire on your site in any given year is low. The consequences if one occurs without adequate preparation are high, ranging from property damage to staff safety incidents to insurance complications. The case for taking EV fire risk seriously is not that fires are common. It is that the cost of preparation is modest relative to the cost of being unprepared.
As the used EV market grows and more independent businesses take on EV stock and servicing for the first time, fire risk planning is becoming a standard part of responsible motor trade operations rather than a niche concern. The businesses that address it early are the ones that will not find themselves scrambling when an insurer, a landlord, or a planning authority asks the question.