Electric vehicles are reshaping the future of transportation.

But they’re also challenging the way we design the spaces that support them. As lithium-ion battery fires make headlines across the country, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore: our parking garages weren’t built for this. While most parking structures are structurally able to withstand the weight of EVs, most still rely on 1-hour fire ratings, and EVs can burn for far longer. The industry is approaching a critical inflection point. With EV growth accelerating at record speed, the gap between today’s fire codes and tomorrow’s realities is only widening.

It’s time to rethink what safety, resilience, and responsible design look like in an electrified world.

The Rising Risk Within Parking Structures

Lithium-ion batteries are inherently unpredictable, evidenced by the recent spate of battery-related fires across the U.S. It’s only a matter of time before an EV battery-related fire tests the limits of the standard parking garage with catastrophic results.

Most garages are built with sorely insufficient 1-hour fire ratings that are incapable of withstanding an EV fire that could burn for up to 3 hours and even ignite days later after it is put out (source: Wired). And the problem will likely worsen, as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 set off a tsunami of federal support for the electric vehicle industry.

While the percentage of EVs in parking structures is relatively small, that ratio is changing by the day. The number of EVs on the road is obviously on the rise:

• In 2016, there were 70,466 EV purchases in the U.S.
• By 2024, that number has risen to 1.2 million

Source: Edmunds

Current Codes are Behind the Curve

Most existing EV charging stations are located on the lowest level of a garage structure. That’s problematic, and potentially catastrophic, when these structures are directly beneath or adjoining a residential or commercial structure. Unfortunately, there’s been virtually no consideration given to the need for fire containment or fire suppression in these structures, beyond what already exists for combustible engines.

While broader industry discussions around EV-related risks continue to evolve, we have been proactively informing clients of potential challenges within the current International Building Codes. Current codes incorrectly place EV cars under the same umbrella as combustible engines, even though it’s a totally different discussion in terms of the prescribed locations for these vehicles, design of the structure, and fire suppression methods.

A Different Approach

Let’s dive into some potential ways to address the problem, each with its own caveat and price tag:

• Require that EV parking be confined to outside spaces, either the top level of the garage structure or an exterior parking lot, allowing the car to burn in the open air
• Increase the fire rating for garage structures
• Provide specialized fire containment provisions within the garage

Option 1: Move EV Parking Outdoors

Ideally, EVs would not be allowed in enclosed spaces at all and instead would be restricted to outdoor parking lots or the top level of a garage. This option is less than ideal and somewhat impractical, as EV owners would undoubtedly, and understandably, resent having to park in the elements. Perhaps more importantly, placing EV parking spaces on the top level of a garage creates accessibility issues for the local fire department in the event of a fire.

Option 2: Increase Fire Ratings

Another option would be to increase the fire ratings for these structures. In an already cost-conscious building type, this also lacks appeal; it would come with a hefty price, as increasing a parking garage to a 3-hour rating could raise construction costs by as much as 40 percent, since the concrete floor panels and beams would be thicker (to protect the reinforcing steel and reduce heat transmission). Furthermore, the foundation’s cost would skyrocket, and the structure’s carbon footprint would increase significantly due to the additional cement.

Option 3: Integrate Fire Containment into the Structure

A less costly and likely more practical option may be designing EV fire containment directly into the structure. It’s technically possible, for example, to provide dedicated compartments for EVs with mechanically activated shutters or louvers that could enclose the vehicle and thereby contain the fire. Specialized fire-extinguishing equipment would be another option, given that nearly all garage structures currently come with only conventional fire extinguishers.

The Human Factor: Enforcement Matters

Regardless of the solution, any new approach does little good if an EV driver parks in a space not designated for EVs, or a non-EV driver parks in an EV-designated parking space. Clear signage within parking structures would be needed to direct EV drivers and create awareness of the dangers.

The Conversation Must Start Now

There is no immediate fix to the dilemma. Addressing the threat of EV fires will:

• require changes to International Building Codes
• undoubtedly lead to additional, albeit necessary, costs
• be required, given the rapidly increasing numbers of EVs on our highways

Whatever the solution, changes to the current code will be essential to any new approach. The revisions, however, should be specific to the situation and the setting. Where is the parking structure located? Is it below or beside a residential or commercial component? Is it a stand-alone structure?

Changing building codes is typically a lengthy, if not glacial, process, and even when they’re released, it will be the responsibility of the cities, counties, and states to adopt and enforce them. That’s why the conversation needs to start now. Whatever the solution ultimately becomes, Wells is ready and available to help.