The transition to electric mobility is moving at lightning speed. More and more car parks are therefore installing charging stations. But what are the rules around the fire safety of charging stations in a car park? And what about the insurance of this charging installation?

The fire service  

The fire brigade's job is to monitor safety. They may be concerned about the fire safety of charging stations in car parks, but they do not have a veto over their placement.

However, the fire brigade may impose requirements for the installation of charging stations in underground and above-ground parking buildings, such as:

• Clear signage of charging infrastructure for emergency services

• Placement of charging stations as close as possible to the exit (evacuation level)

• Installation of fire detection and an extinguishing facility near the charging station

• Respecting minimum distances between the charging station and other objects or emergency exits

• The full lists of requirements is found hier.

In most cases, the fire brigade will not object to the installation of charging stations, as long as safety requirements are met.

The insurance

It is important to contact your insurer to enquire about their terms and conditions. This way, you can avoid unpleasant surprises. With most insurers, there is no increased premium for the presence of EV charging infrastructure. Typically, you can assume the full coveragegeval van schade at a charging station due to fire or flooding that is not directly linked to the charging station or charging..

Damage to the charging infrastructure resulting from a defect in the charging point itself is therefore not covered. One may be able to invoke warranties from the manufacturer of the charge point or initiate proceedings against the manufacturer through legal expenses insurance.

For residential car parks, you can appeal to the collective block policy of the building. In many cases, the insurer will hold the charging infrastructure manufacturer liable (due to a fault at the charging station) for the costs incurred.

Electric cars and charging stations do not increase fire risk

There is a misconception that electric cars are more fire-prone than fuel-engine cars. However, this is not true. Research shows that the fire risk of electric cars is not higher than that of fuel cars.

In 2022, there were 3,8 autobranden per 100,000 electric or hybrid cars in Sweden, while for combustion engines the number was 68 per 100,000 cars. A difference of more than 17 times!

We see the same trend in Australia. EV drivers there have a 0,0012 procent kans of a car fire, while that chance for owners of diesel and petrol car is 0.1 per cent. 

In most cases, you will have no problems installing charging stations in your car park. However, the fire service and insurance may have requirements for installation. It is important to contact the fire service and insurance company to inquire about their conditions.