Electric vehicles are no longer a novelty in your car park. They park in basements, charge overnight in condominium bays, line up at mall charging stations and roll into service centers every day. For building owners, juristic persons and facility managers, that brings a new kind of fire risk — one that standard equipment was not designed for.

This guide explains what makes an EV battery fire different, where the risk sits in your property, and what to look for in an EV fire blanket, the first-response tool built for exactly this situation.

Why EV battery fires are different

A petrol car fire and a lithium-ion battery fire behave very differently. When a battery cell is damaged, overheated or faulty, it can enter thermal runaway: a chain reaction in which each cell heats the next.

The heat feeds itself. Thermal runaway generates intense, self-sustaining heat, so the fire can keep going even after the flames seem to die down.
Water alone struggles. Standard water extinguishers find it hard to suppress a battery fire instantly, because the heat source sits deep inside the battery pack.
Damage spreads quickly. Left unchecked, the fire threatens neighbouring vehicles and the building structure itself.
Toxic smoke travels. In enclosed or underground car parks, smoke can enter ventilation shafts and reach other floors.

The goal of a first response is therefore not to “put out” the battery on the spot. It is to contain the fire: cut off oxygen, confine the heat and smoke, and keep the incident to one vehicle until professional firefighters arrive.

Where the risk sits in your property

Property type	Why it matters
Condominiums & commercial buildings	Underground and indoor car parks trap radiant heat, and smoke can enter ventilation shafts that serve residents and tenants.
EV charging stations	Battery emergencies can start at the charger and threaten the charging infrastructure and the cars parked next to it.
Shopping malls & hotels	A visible incident causes panic and property loss, and damages a hard-earned safety reputation.
EV showrooms & service centers	Maintenance bays and high-voltage battery storage areas put technical staff closest to the risk.

If EVs park, charge or are serviced on your premises, a dedicated first-response tool for battery fires belongs in your safety plan.

What an EV fire blanket does

An EV fire blanket is a large, heat-resistant sheet that is pulled over the entire vehicle. It helps contain the fire by cutting off oxygen to the flames, confines the heat and smoke under the cover, and protects whatever is around the car. Deployment takes three steps: Approach (two trained responders hold the corners of the blanket and move in carefully toward the vehicle), Cover (they pull the blanket over the whole car so it covers the vehicle completely), and Secure (they check that the blanket sits tight against the ground, control the surrounding area and keep monitoring until firefighters take over).

What to look for when you buy

Not every fire blanket is built for an EV. Check these six points before you buy: an EV-specific standard (DIN SPEC 91489), independent testing (a test report from a recognised laboratory, not just a datasheet), material and heat rating (high-purity silica fiber withstands far higher temperatures than conventional fiberglass), fire behavior class (EN 13501-1), size and handling (must cover a whole car, with strong corner straps), and storage and shelf life.

Hi-PROTEC: built to meet every point

Hi-PROTEC : EV Fire Blanket (Premium Silica Series) is tested by SGS (Test Report No. SDFTS25000559R01_EN) and was designed around the checklist above.

What to check	Hi-PROTEC
EV-specific standard	Meets DIN SPEC 91489:2024-11 requirements (SGS test)
Material and heat rating	Pure silica fiber ≥ 96%, liquid silicone coating on both sides; max service temperature 1,100°C
Fire behavior class	Class B-s1, d0 (EN 13501-1): low ignitability, low smoke, no flaming droplets
Cut resistance	Level A under EN ISO 13997
Size and handling	6 × 8 m (net weight 28 kg), four reinforced corner straps (FMVSS 302) with red pull handles
Storage	Yellow high-visibility container rated IP65 (IPX5 water jets, IP6X dust-tight)
Shelf life	Up to 20 years in standby storage when properly maintained
Environmental safety	PFAS-free

The silica construction outperforms conventional fiberglass blankets, and the 20-year shelf life makes it a long-term safety asset rather than a consumable.

Who we are, and how to start

Centrotec Co., Ltd. has spent 20 years engineering industrial thermal and cryogenic insulation systems. Ready to protect your car park, charging bays or service center? We can run an on-site demonstration, prepare a quotation for one site or a whole portfolio, and share the full SGS test report.

Contact Centrotec Co., Ltd. Phone: +66 81 899 1799, +66 36 222 822 · Fax: +66 36 221 181 · kittipat.centrotec@gmail.com

EV Battery Fires in Buildings: A Practical Guide for Facility Managers