The Slovak Association for Electromobility (SEVA) and the Presidium of the Fire and Rescue Corps of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (HaZZ) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation, the aim of which is to define fire safety rules in connection with the development of electromobility in Slovakia. By signing the Memorandum, the organisations have committed to cooperate on a number of strategic levels, including the exchange of experience, expert consultations and the development of legislative rules that will reflect the challenges of electromobility.
The Memorandum, signed by HaZZ President Adrián Mifkovič and SEVA Director Patrik Križanský, speaks of the commitment of both parties to develop activities to create an expert basis for the creation of new regulations that will ensure fire safety not only when parking and charging electric vehicles in garages and buildings, but also within the broader infrastructure supporting electromobility. Charging infrastructure is a new element in buildings and defining clear conditions for its construction and development is one of the approved measures of the Action Plan for the Development of Electromobility in the Slovak Republic. “Building infrastructure is the basis for the development of electromobility, chargers must be everywhere where we normally park our cars,” said Križanský, recalling that Slovakia has clear obligations under several existing European standards, such as the Energy Efficiency in Buildings Regulation (EPBD) or the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). “There are currently a number of unclear points in the construction of charging stations with regard to fire safety standards in Slovakia and the requirements of European legislation, which we need to discuss professionally and define together,” Križanský stated.
“The development of electromobility brings challenges that require updating and supplementing our standards related to fire safety in buildings,” said HaZZ President Adrián Mifkovič. “Our primary task is to protect the life, health and property of citizens, but we must also be prepared to respond flexibly to new trends. And these are not only electric vehicles or charging stations in parking structures, but also the overall higher weight and much higher proportion of plastics in modern vehicles, regardless of the drive.” Safety must be at the heart of the development of every industry, including electromobility. “We will therefore work with SEVA and its members to develop regulations to ensure safe parking and charging of electric vehicles,” adds Mifkovic. “The memorandum opens the door for us to discuss and share our expertise in the field of fire prevention, which we can also draw on from our partners in the European Association for Electromobility AVERE network,” said Križanský, who is also vice-president of the Brussels-based organisation. He stressed that SEVA has committed itself within the Memorandum to provide translations of foreign professional publications, which will give Slovakia access to the latest knowledge and experience from countries that are ahead of us in the development of electromobility.
The initiative was also welcomed by Simona Kalinovská, who, on behalf of 3MON as a member of SEVA, leads a specialised group within the association focused on fire prevention. SEVA is responding to questions from both the professional and lay public and is preparing a separate report on fire safety in electromobility. It points out that although electric vehicles do not burn more often than cars with internal combustion engines, electric vehicle fires, especially battery fires, require specific emergency response methods and often special technological equipment. “When extinguishing battery fires, special procedures must be taken care of, such as using large volumes of water to cool them down to prevent re-ignition, or protecting firefighting units from toxic substances,” Kalinovská, who as a fire protection specialist works with HaZZ representatives on specific projects where electromobility is already present, is quoted from a forthcoming report: “The entry of electric vehicles into parking facilities, or even their charging in enclosed spaces, means new demands on infrastructure and fire prevention. We need to implement solutions more effectively that can take into account the specificities of electromobility and at the same time reflect the latest knowledge from practice. Electric cars do not burn more often than traditional vehicles, but it is necessary to equip garages with fire-technical equipment to increase the safety of buildings and the rapid intervention of firefighting units.”
Peter Badík, CEO of GreenWay, one of the leaders in the construction of charging infrastructure in Slovakia, also took the same position. According to him, the development of electromobility cannot be done without good legislation: “Although charging does not pose a greater risk than the actual entry of electric cars into garages, we feel problems especially when permitting the construction of charging stations, as this is the process in which the competent authorities assess these risks. We consider it crucial that not only rules for new constructions are defined, but also transition periods to allow owners and operators of existing parking garages to adapt to the new requirements.”
The President of HaZZ, Adrian Mifkovic, stressed that the rescue services must be prepared for the new security threats that are coming our way with the introduction of new technologies: “One thing is the needs of drivers and owners of electric cars, the other is the protection of health, property and lives. We cannot afford to be vague in our regulations as the electrification of transport develops. It is a new technology that forces us to learn in real time and to respond flexibly to this dynamic development based on experience and knowledge, including from abroad,” concluded Mifkovič.
The SEVA press release can also be downloaded in PDF format.