The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EV) has given lithium-ion batteries a new level of scrutiny. OEMs are now more hands-on in their approach to understand, and sometimes influence, how dealerships across the country manage these heavy battery packs safely and efficiently. Most don’t realize that these alternative sources of energy in the service department is not a novel concept because they have long been a familiar presence in your service bays in the form of an electric forklift, electric pallet jack, golf cart, and even ride-on floor scrubber.
The increased scrutiny is not unfounded, however. Lithium-ion batteries in EVs are a lot bigger than those found in these other types of equipment, pose a fire risk that is fundamentally different from those of conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, and the consequences of being unprepared can be severe. That is why dealerships across the country — whether voluntarily or at the direction of their vehicle manufacturers — have been reinforcing their fire prevention and emergency response protocols, training staff on new fire containment equipment, and stocking specialized tools designed specifically for EV-related emergencies.
This article will identify this unique hazard and discuss what dealerships can do today to mitigate their risk of these types of emergencies in their repair facility.
How Lithium-Ion Batteries Work
To appreciate why these batteries are so hazardous when things go wrong, it helps to understand how they generate power in the first place. Lithium-ion batteries consist of two terminals — an anode and a cathode — separated by a liquid electrolyte. When the battery is expending energy or discharging, lithium ions travel from the anode through the electrolyte to the cathode, generating the electrical current that powers a device (like your phone) or propels an EV. When plugging in your phone or EV to a charger, this process reverses: lithium ions migrate back from cathode to anode and store energy for future use by recharging the battery. These batteries have become the dominant power source for modern EVs because of their high energy density, long cycle life, and ability to deliver the sustained power output required for both everyday driving and rapid acceleration.
Thermal Runaway: The Most Prominent Hazard
The most significant danger associated with lithium-ion batteries is a phenomenon known as “thermal runaway.” Under normal conditions, the anode and cathode are kept separated by a membrane within the electrolyte. However, an external event — such as physical damage to the battery pack, overcharging that raises internal temperatures above 130°C (266°F), prolonged exposure to high ambient heat, or a manufacturing defect — can cause this membrane to break down or melt. When the anode and cathode make direct contact, an internal short circuit forms, generating intense and uncontrolled heat. That heat causes the electrolyte to decompose, which releases even more heat, which accelerates the decomposition further. This self-perpetuating feedback loop of ever-rising temperatures can lead to fire, explosion, and the release of toxic gases.
Thermal Propagation and the Fire Tetrahedron
Thermal runaway typically begins in a single battery cell, but it rarely stays there. As one cell overheats and vents its energy, the heat it generates raises the temperature of neighboring cells, causing them to fail in turn and eventually affects more and more battery cells. This cascading event is known as thermal propagation. Depending on the size of a battery pack, an EV can have anywhere between three-hundred to thousands of cells, so you can imagine how quickly this can get out of hand. This chain reaction is best understood through the lens of the fire tetrahedron, which identifies the four components required to sustain a fire: fuel, heat, oxygen, and a self-sustaining chemical chain reaction. The basic concept is that removing any one of these components would extinguish the fire. What makes lithium-ion battery fires so extraordinarily difficult to extinguish is that the internal chemical reactions generate their own oxygen supply. This means that smothering the fire to remove the oxygen — effective against most conventional fires — will not put it out. It also explains why EV battery fires are notorious for reigniting, which can happen days after them being fully extinguished and contained. There are stories of EVs reigniting days after a fire when it was in a locked tow yard!
Make It Stick Past June
National Safety Month is a useful prompt, but slip, trip, and fall prevention is a daily discipline. The dealerships that keep injury rates down are the ones that build inspection and cleanup into the normal workflow rather than treating safety as an annual event. A short toolbox talk this week, a documented walkthrough, and a refreshed housekeeping expectation will carry far more weight than a one-time poster.
Fire Suppression Options for Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
While the fire department remains the only resource capable of fully extinguishing a lithium-ion battery fire, facility staff can deploy certain tools to slow the fire’s progress while awaiting first responders. Standard ABC-rated extinguishers can knock back visible flames, but they do not address the internal thermal runaway reaction, meaning the fire will persist and likely reignite. A more advanced option is the F-500 Encapsulator Agent (EA), which works to rapidly cool the battery and encapsulate the electrolyte, significantly reducing the risk of reignition. As for extinguishers marketed as “Class L,” it is worth understanding what that label does and does not mean. Class L was formally recognized as a fire classification under ISO 3941:2026, but in the United States there is not yet a UL listing standard or an NFPA rating specific to lithium-ion battery fires. As a result, the “Class L” label is not by itself proof of certified performance and dealership staff should confirm with their local fire authority before relying on these products. Dealership staff should research their options carefully and follow manufacturer requirements when selecting fire suppression equipment for their facilities. Ultimately, while having the right tools on hand can buy critical time, personnel must remember that their primary responsibility is worker safety. If a thermal runaway event escalates or produces heavy toxic smoke, evacuating the area and letting professional first responders handle the situation is always the safest course of action. There is nothing more valuable in a dealership than its employees.
The EV Blanket
The second key piece of equipment found in EV-ready dealerships is the EV blanket. This is a specialized, heavy-duty, heat-resistant blanket engineered to contain a lithium-ion battery fire. It is critical to understand this distinction between extinguishing a fire: the goal of an EV blanket is to suppress the spread of flames and toxic smoke to other areas of the facility and buy time until the fire department arrives. Remember, when it comes to these types of EV fires, the goal is containment not extinguishment. Because deployment requires personnel to approach the burning vehicle closely, it must only be attempted by trained staff wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE). The EV blanket and its associated PPE should always be stored together for quick and coordinated access. They should also be regularly inspected so that they are ready to deploy should an emergency arise. Deployment is a two-person job at minimum, and should never be attempted alone or without adequate protection.
When Fire Strikes: What To Do
Lithium-ion batteries are, in the vast majority of real-world applications, safe and reliable. Decades of improvement in battery management systems, thermal separators, pressure vents, and manufacturing quality control have dramatically reduced the likelihood of catastrophic failure. But the risk is never zero, and the consequences of an EV battery fire can escalate very quickly. When a lithium-ion battery fire occurs — or is even suspected — the single most critical action is to call 9-1-1 immediately. What appears to be a minor flame or vapor release can spiral rapidly due to the self-sustaining nature of thermal runaway and thermal propagation. Staff should assess the situation carefully and only attempt containment if it can be done safely, quickly, and with properly trained staff and equipment. Once containment measures have been taken, evacuate the area and allow first responders to take over. They have the training, experience, and resources necessary not only to extinguish the fire, but to prevent the reignition that makes these fires so uniquely dangerous.