The scope of the fire risk posed by electric vehicles (EVs) is not well-understood, says a National Research Council of Canada report.

“Electric vehicles present a greener solution to internal combustion vehicle engines, however they may pose a different fire hazard due to their propulsion system, the lithium ion battery,” said the report, Literature Review on Parking of Electric Vehicles, viewed by Blacklock’s Reporter.

“There are still questions regarding the fire safety of electric vehicles,” it said.

No national database exists on the number of fires caused by EVs, so the scope of the problem is hard to quantify, the report said. But it cited some specific incidents, including a fire last year in an underground parkade in Quebec City and another at a Niagara Falls casino parking lot in 2018.

“Vehicles are active during charging which poses a hazard in garages. Although large vehicle fires in parking structures are not common they might lead to large economic losses,” the report said. It noted that while some newly built parking structures are designed with EVs and their potential fire risks in mind, the majority aren’t.

Fires involving the lithium-ion batteries used in EVs are more difficult to extinguish. For example, it took tens of thousands of gallons of water to extinguish an EV battery after it ignited in Texas in April 2021, according to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association.

In 2015, Canada’s Department of Transport prohibited passenger aircrafts from carrying lithium batteries in bulk.

“While most lithium batteries are safe, some have overheated and caught fire. Once ignited, they can cause any nearby batteries to overheat and catch fire. These fires are difficult to put out and produce toxic and irritating fumes,” the department said.

On Dec. 21, the federal government published draft regulations mandating all new passenger vehicle sales be electric zero-emission by 2035. The plan is to phase-in the rules starting with a 20 percent requirement in 2026.