Fire Safety Codes for Electric Vehicles in Buildings: Four Structural Questions for the Next Generation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This open discussion paper examines the emerging normative landscape of fire safety for electric vehicles (EVs) in buildings, with particular attention to parking garages and mixed-use facilities. It frames current standards and guidelines—including DIN SPEC 91489:2024-11, IFC 2024 §1207, and NFPA 855—as an embryonic functional mosaic rather than a consolidated regulatory system. Instead of proposing prescriptive solutions, the paper formulates four structural questions addressing: (i) the historical sequence of maturation between operational practice, insurance underwriting, and codes; (ii) the ontological boundary between vehicles and energy storage systems; (iii) the role of Layer 3 as pre-normative operational science; and (iv) the epistemological shift from object-based fire containment toward function-based controlled exhaust topologies. The paper does not seek to define requirements or performance limits. Its objective is to establish a shared conceptual vocabulary to support international dialogue among laboratories, insurers, and standards committees, and to contribute to the regulatory maturation cycle anticipated between 2026 and 2031.
Author: de Oliveira, Jurandir
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7115183840
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: