Comparison between EV and ICE Vehicles' Fire Safety Protocols

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry can elaborate on the safety protocols in place for electric vehicle (EV) fire incidents and how they compare to those for internal combustion engine vehicles; and (b) what proactive steps are being taken to maintain or improve the fire safety record of EVs as their numbers increase.

International studies thus far show that the rate of fire incidents for electric vehicles (EV) is much lower than for internal combustion engine vehicles and hybrid vehicles. However, fire incidents involving EVs pose higher safety risks. These include the risk of a fire or explosion if the battery is damaged and the risk of re-ignition after the initial fire is extinguished.

EV fires therefore require specific safety protocols. This includes first responders from the Singapore Civil Defence Force, Land Transport Authority or Singapore Police Force adopting a larger safety buffer zone when setting up a cordon around an incident and monitoring for a longer period after extinguishing the fire. In view of the re-ignition risk, there is also a need for the EV to be quarantined at a holding area after the incident.

To minimise the risk of vehicular fires, all vehicles, including EVs, must meet internationally-recognised vehicle safety standards, such as those issued by the United Nations, in order to be used on our roads. They are regularly inspected to ensure that they continue to meet these standards. All EV charging systems must comply with our national charging standard, the Technical Reference 25, which takes reference from international safety standards.