Secutech recently held a seminar in Taipei focusing on fire safety systems and emergency response technologies for commercial building EV parking garages.
As the world moves toward net-zero carbon emissions and clean energy, the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has become an irreversible trend. At the heart of EVs lies the lithium battery which, while environmentally beneficial, poses certain challenges to fire safety in parking facilities. Once ignited, lithium batteries release large amounts of toxic gases and carry the risk of reignition, testing all types of fire suppression equipment and systems.
To address this critical issue, Secutech recently held a seminar in Taipei focusing on fire safety systems and emergency response technologies for EV parking lots in commercial buildings. The event drew over 170 professionals from a wide range of organizations including government agencies, technology companies, commercial building associations, parking operators and EV manufacturers. The seminar not only provided a platform for unveiling new technologies but also outlined a future safety blueprint for EV parking, offering Taiwan – and the world – valuable insights and practical solutions to meet the challenges in the EV era.
Enhancing EV charging safety in municipal parking lots
Opening the seminar, Liu Rui-lin, Director of Taipei City Parking Management and Engineering Office, gave the keynote: “Enhancing Charging System Safety and Smart Management in Taipei’s Municipal Parking Lots.” Liu first outlined Taipei’s EV charging policy goals: By 2030, all municipal parking lots in the city must meet basic charging station requirements – these include designating 2 percent of all parking spaces as EV parking spaces, and having a total of 3,000 EV chargers across municipal parking lots in the city.
That said, he stressed installing EV chargers creates fire safety challenges. To this end, he mentioned several city-initiated safety regulations, including placing independent circuits/meters on chargers; putting mandatory EV-specific water mist or enhanced liquid extinguishers at each municipal lot; setting up temperature and smoke detection and thermal imaging systems; and enabling central power cutoff mechanisms for emergencies.
“Currently, 34 municipal parking lots are equipped with thermal imaging systems with remote power cutoff enabled, while 21 lots have water mist systems for early fire suppression,” Liu said. “Amid EV technology advances, we also provide outstanding safety measures so Taipei residents can feel worry-free parking their EVs.”
EV fire blanket shown at live demo
The venue of the seminar had a public underground parking garage operated by Just Right Parking (JPR), which held an EV fire safety drill in the garage before seminar attendees.
The first part of the drill dealt with detecting and responding to abnormal temperatures in EVs while charging. A heater was placed next to an EV. When a rise in temperature to over 60 degrees Celsius was detected by the thermal system, an alarm is triggered and sent via a LINE message to all related staffers. Then, a central power cutoff system was immediately activated to disable all EV chargers.
The second part of the drill simulated an EV fire incident and ways to respond to it. An oil pan fire was lit to simulate EV battery ignition. To put it out, JPR introduced an advanced EV fire blanket, which was made with temperature-resistant silica fiber, sized 8m x 6m, weighing 40 kilograms, and capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1,600 degrees Celsius. The blanket proved effective in containing flames, suppressing toxic emissions, and preventing fire spread, while thermal sensors continued to monitor for reignition. The demo highlighted the importance of early detection, smart power cutoff, and specialized firefighting equipment in commercial EV parking lots.
Low-pressure water mist – A key fire safety solution for EVs
In his presentation, Huang Hung-hsun, Chairman of the Taiwan Water Mist Association, pointed out that of the recent EV fire incidents, 80 occurred during the charging process. He then cited the unique hazards of EV fires: toxic emissions up to 80 times higher than gasoline vehicles, extremely high temperatures, reignition risks (24-hour monitoring required) and long burn times (4–7 hours).
Huang then argued that traditional systems like foam are ineffective against fires induced by EV lithium batteries, which generate their own oxygen. According to him, this is where a critical role can be played by low-pressure water mist systems, which offer the following benefits: rapid cooling, where temperature can drop from 900 to 140 degrees Celsius in 150 seconds; effective fire containment without direct contact; and 70 percent smoke reduction by absorbing toxic gases. Huang further cites international validations including Denmark’s 2021 “ELBAS” project and Swedish research recommending mist systems as a standard safety measure.
“For commercial building EV parking lots where power supply is centralized, open-head mist systems with flame detectors are recommended. For residential EV parking where power is distributed, closed-head (glass bulb) systems are ideal,” Huang said, adding low-pressure water mist systems are already being piloted in some public underground EV parking lots in Taiwan, including the Xinzhuang Sports Center.
Product Adopted:Building