Australia passed the milestone of 200 000 registered electric vehicles earlier this year. Shopping centres, strata car parks and fleet depots are retrofitting fast chargers to keep pace. While the National Construction Code encourages the shift, lithium-ion batteries present a fire profile that many older car-park sprinklers were never asked to handle.
Why lithium-ion fires change the rules
Thermal runaway lets a battery feed itself until every affected cell is empty. Flames can jet for hours, and heat keeps neighbouring cells above decomposition temperature. CTIF reports incidents where crews used more than 10 000 litres simply to cool one sedan; overseas cases have exceeded 90 000 litres. Sprinklers seldom extinguish the pack, but they arrest fire spread and buy evacuation time.
The National Fire Sprinkler Association highlights the same issue on larger energy-storage projects: water-supply duration, not just discharge density, decides success. NFPA 855 trials recommend 12.2 mm / min over 230 m² for 90 minutes when packs sit indoors. Those figures dwarf the 30-minute designs common in many pre-2010 Australian car parks.
What local authorities expect in 2025
Fire and Rescue NSW now classifies indoor EV bays as a “special hazard”. Any charging space must be sprinkler-protected to AS 2118.1 or AS 2118.6, without relying on concession clauses that reduce pipework or head spacing. Sites charging large fleets must also lodge an emergency plan that meets Work Health and Safety Regulation clause 361, complete with a tactical fire plan.
The Electric Vehicle Council urges owners to involve competent fire engineers early in any retrofit, rather than treating chargers as a purely electrical job.
CSIRO’s ActivFire note adds another layer: no Australian-certified portable extinguisher exists for lithium batteries. Sprinklers with ample water remain the only fixed safeguard most sites can depend on.
Sprinklers under the microscope
Before the first charging pedestal arrives, revisit five elements:
- Water storage – Size tanks or mains for at least 90 minutes at 12.2 mm / min over 230 m².
- Pump capacity – Check duty pressure after new runs to bays.
- Head spacing – Add extra heads directly over chargers or side-wall units for cross wetting.
- Drainage – Confirm floor falls carry contaminated run-off to treatment points.
- Monitoring – Link flow switches to the site emergency plan.
These checks separate compliance from wishful thinking.
Sprinkler design debates often ask whether water-mist or deluge nozzles perform better. Field tests remain limited, yet Australian fire engineers agree on one point: abundant plain water applied early is the most reliable containment method until standards catch up.
Cost and water management
Many suburban car parks rely on town mains rated for roughly 20 L / s. Extending discharge time to 90 minutes can call for a 100 kL break-tank or a diesel booster pump. The outlay looks high, yet insurers already demand flow-test evidence before underwriting buildings with indoor chargers. Early budgeting avoids disputes with loss adjusters after an incident.
Lithium run-off poses environmental headaches as well. Battery fires release trace metals and flammable solvents; floor drains should connect to interceptors or bunds so contaminated water never reaches stormwater lines. Some councils and fire protection near me now insist on trade-waste agreements for EV bays, making plumbing design a compliance item, not a nicety.
Lithium-Fire Readiness Checklist
- Locate bays wisely – favour open-air or edge-of-building spots.
- Document hazard class – record EV bays in the fire engineering report.
- Upgrade water supply – tank, pump and mains to ideally match NFPA figures.
- Review sprinkler layout – add heads at charger height if the ceiling is high.
- Ensure drainage – prevent contaminated water entering stormwater lines.
- Install gas detection – early hydrogen or solvent sensors improve warning.
- Train staff – include isolation switches and muster points.
- Maintain records – keep test certificates with the emergency plan.
- Consult the brigade early – share charger locations and shut-down docs.
- Re-audit annually – recalculate demand after every new charger install.
Choosing the right partner
Lithium risk is not DIY. Work with a licensed fire protection company that understands both AS 2118 and NFPA 855. Majestic Fire Protection has helped assets across Greater Sydney align pump-and-tank capacity with rising demand.
For multi-site portfolios, partnering with fire protection services Sydney teams that offer integrated testing and 24-hour call-out cuts administrative overhead. Asset managers often compare several fire protection companies Sydney, yet experience with lithium systems matters more than price.
The takeaway
EV bays will soon be a common sight. Taking time now to match sprinkler performance to lithium-fire behaviour limits downtime and keeps insurers onside. Whether you manage a strata block or a regional depot, the same fire protection Sydney checklist applies.