A major milestone in electric vehicle (EV) safety has been reached with the independent verification of EV Fire Protection’s world-first fixed fire suppression system, EV FirePro.
Designed and manufactured in Australia specifically for EV parking bays, the system has been independently tested and validated by world-renowned Applus+ Laboratories in Spain.
The testing was conducted in 2025 due to the absence of purpose-built EV fire testing facilities in Australia, confirming its effectiveness, safety, and compliance with international standards.
EV Fire Protection director, Gareth Morgan, the risks associated with EV fires in confined environments are only increasing, especially with global EV sales projected to exceed 200 million by 2030.
“Unlike traditional fires, EV battery fires are complex, intense, and can reignite hours later. Our system was engineered from the ground up to contain these fires at the source and prevent escalation,” he said.
EV FirePro directly addresses the key hazards of lithium-ion battery fires, including thermal runaway, intense heat, and the release of toxic and flammable gases.
By activating at the base of the vehicle, where the battery is located, the system delivers targeted vertical and lateral water spray, suppressing flames, reducing heat spread, and providing safer conditions for emergency responders.
During testing, no fire spread to adjacent vehicles. Temperatures around the burning car remained below 60°C, ceiling temperatures were held under 250°C, and heat flux stayed below 2.5 kW/m² – significantly reducing structural risk and preventing ignition of surrounding materials.
The brief temperature spike to 250°C occurred during a deflagration event, caused by the ignition of flammable gases released in the moments immediately before EV FirePro activated.
“We now have the independent validation required for international rollout,” Morgan said.
“This solution was conceived, developed, and built entirely in Australia, and it's ready to meet global demand for safer EV infrastructure.”
The system has been recognised by experts across the fire safety industry. Jussef Liban, a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering, described EV FirePro as “the most sensible solution” he has seen to date.
“It is not intended to extinguish an EV fire entirely,” Liban noted, “but to reduce its effects: limiting spread, protecting adjacent vehicles, dissipating heat, and creating safer conditions for firefighter intervention. ”
Martin Lown BEM, a Certified Fire Investigator and former United Kingdom (UK) Fire Service Commander, said it is a new approach to vehicle fire containment – an 'upside-down sprinkler' from down under.
“Traditional ceiling-mounted systems are not designed to target the undercarriage, where EV battery fires originate. EV FirePro’s ground-mounted design delivers targeted spray below and outward, helping to contain heat flux and slow the spread,” Lown said.
“The tested effectiveness of EV FirePro means a vehicle fire can be more contained in the early stages, giving fire crews both time and safer conditions to act. It supports both offensive and defensive tactics and reflects what the industry urgently needs.”
The company is now progressing distribution installations and agreements across Australia, the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
EV Fire Protection will continue its global rollout with site visits and installations scheduled in Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, and at a Jaguar Land Rover test facility in the UK before the end of 2025.
The team will support new distributors with local training and demonstration events as part of its Asia-Pacific expansion.
Under the National Construction Code, provisions were introduced in 2022 to make it easier for people living in apartments to switch to an electric vehicle.
Base infrastructure for future cabling and installation had to be introduced at the time of construction for new buildings. Apartments had to be EV-ready by 2023.