Firefighters Drill on EV Rescues as Poll Reveals Public Safety Myths
23.06.2026 - 22:52:01 | boerse-global.de
A nationwide survey published on 23 June has laid bare widespread confusion about electric-vehicle safety in Germany. Civey found that approximately 40 percent of respondents wrongly believe that battery-powered cars catch fire more often than conventional petrol or diesel vehicles. Insurers push back, saying no elevated fire risk has been observed.
An even bigger misconception concerns extinguishing techniques. Two-thirds of the people surveyed think water must not be used on an EV fire — the exact opposite of what experts recommend. Professional firefighters routinely treat water as the most effective agent. The real difference, specialists Stefan Reichhardt and Friedhelm Bechtel point out, is that extinguishing a burning lithium-ion battery consumes more time and a significantly larger volume of water. Reichhardt has already built a dedicated quarantine hall in Augsburg to store damaged electric vehicles safely.
A concrete danger from batteries inside homes surfaced in Massenbachhausen, where a unit stored in a hallway ignited an apartment blaze, causing injuries and heavy property damage.
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Meanwhile, emergency services are stepping up their own preparations. On 20 June, commanding officers from the Sontra Volunteer Fire Brigade underwent a seven-hour high-voltage training session. Led by instructor Kemal Dzomba, the course covered the structure of high-voltage circuits and the correct handling of lithium-ion batteries. A key takeaway: how to read rescue data sheets for faster extrications. District fire inspector André Bernhardt stressed the value of such continuous education. For the practical drills, the brigade used four passenger cars and one electric truck.
That same week, on 20 and 21 June, the fire services of Aurich and Sandhorst held joint training days. Firefighters and emergency medical teams practised complex accident scenarios with trapped occupants.
The shift to electric powertrains is also reshaping the fire service’s own fleet. On 21 June, the Weinheim fire department presented a fully electric turntable ladder built by Rosenbauer. Manufacturers like MAN are ramping up series production: around 1,300 electric trucks have already been assembled at the Munich plant, and roughly 5,000 staff there are now trained in high-voltage technology.
On 22 June, the German automobile club ACV launched regular operations of the country’s first hydrogen-powered tow truck. The vehicle sits on a Mercedes Atego chassis, uses a Toyota fuel cell and a Voith central drive. The Technical University of Cologne will monitor the pilot project scientifically for one year.
