Safer roads, lower emissions: Why EV incident response matters now

Electric vehicles (EVs) are an important part of transport decarbonisation. As electrification accelerates, road agencies and operators are adapting their incident response approach, so it remains appropriate. While EV battery fire incidents are still relatively rare in Australasia, agencies are proactively planning updates.

So how do we keep people safe while restoring service on our roads quickly and consistently? The best approach spans the full ecosystem, from control rooms and patrols to emergency services, tow and recovery, and more. The new Austroads report, grounded in evidence and real-world learning is designed to support this end-to-end approach.

A key element of the report is clarifying the distinction between an EV on fire (for example, involving cabin materials) and thermal runaway - a highly exothermic reaction within a lithium‑ion battery (LiB) - which presents a different hazard profile. Thermal runaway involves hazards such as off‑gassing of toxic gases, sudden jet‑like flames and delayed or secondary ignition. It also takes longer to extinguish, with larger volumes of water needed to suppress the fire and protect surrounding exposures.

This distinction matters. It changes what network operators and responders look for, how they tackle the fire, the resources needed to tackle the incident, and how they plan recovery.

The report explores how EV thermal runaway incidents can have different operational impacts across road and vehicle types. It draws on international case studies to illustrate what can happen on motorways, freeways, suburban streets and rural roads, and vehicle types from e-bikes and electric cars, to electric buses and heavy vehicles.

It also reinforces a broader point: we cannot treat EV incident response as a ‘one size fits all’. Battery size, state of charge, vehicle configuration, location and surrounding exposures shape what a safe the incident severity and what an effective response looks like.

For transport management centres and road operators, the first aim is always people’s safety - responders, other travellers and nearby communities. The second aim is restoring the network with minimal disruption. The report highlights that EV battery fire-related incidents are likely to have longer durations than those involving internal combustion engine vehicles.

The report’s practical framing links technical hazards to operational actions and decision points. For example, risk is not always visible. Off‑gassing occurs before ignition but may not be visible. Equipment thermal imaging cameras can be used from several meters away from the vehicle to detect elevated temperatures as a warning sign.

From a roads and transport management perspective, building capability is not only about specialist response. It is also about consistent triage and communication: shared language across agencies, clear thresholds for escalation, and preplanned diversion strategies that can be activated quickly when cordons or lane closures are required. In many areas, these are the practical building blocks that keep decarbonisation moving forward without compromising public confidence.

An operationally significant risk in a thermal runaway incident is what happens after the immediate incident appears under control. Secondary or delayed ignition can occur hours, days or even weeks after an incident, with real‑world impacts for tow operators and salvage yards.

The report recommends a risk-based approach to consistently identify and manage the secondary ignition of risks during clearance, recovery and storage.

This includes considering how at-risk vehicles are transported away from the incident, which may involve actions like being followed by a fire truck, using storage containers and avoiding high-risk locations such as city centres.

In practice, this and the other actions noted in the report call for joint planning between road agencies, emergency services and the tow and recovery sector: agreed protocols, training pathways, and clarity around facilities and processes suitable for damaged EVs.

The report sets out a five-stage incident response framework and includes 17 practical recommendations to assist with planning, response deployment, incident scene management, and recovery. 

Some of the key recommendations:

• Update incident response procedures to incorporate the unique hazards of EV and thermal runaway incidents.
• Train incident response staff specifically on EV and LiB-related risks.
• Procure and use thermal imaging cameras (TICs) to confirm battery temperatures and identify thermal runaway risks. This can help identify risks before approaching a vehicle.
• Develop and apply various risk management measures, including establishing a series of safety cordons to manage thermal runaway risks for responders and the traveling public. This may have implications for the scale of road closures.
• Work with the tow and recovery sector to manage the removal, transport and storage of damaged EVs safely and efficiently.

EV technology is rapidly evolving, and there are a lot of unknowns. There are a few areas where further understanding and research would be beneficial, including off-gassing in an open environment, to help get the right balance of safety and risk management, while minimising network disruption. 

Other areas where more work is recommended include risks associated with charging and how the impacts from contaminated water run-off differ from ICEV fires.

With new technology comes new risks, and we need to respond to these accordingly.

Three takeaways stand out from the latest Austroads report:

• EV incidents involving thermal runaway present different risks and hazards which affect how we manage people’s safety, incident response and traffic flow.
• Consistent, risk‑based frameworks help agencies and partners act decisively and effectively across planning, response and recovery.
• An end-to-end approach is required across multiple stakeholders – beginning before incidents with planning and training, and continuing through tow, recovery and storage of damaged vehicles.

By adopting evidence‑led guidance and strengthening coordination, road managers can support a cleaner transport future, while keeping networks safe and moving.