As electric vehicles (EVs) continue their rise across the continent, there’s an uncomfortable truth most building owners and developers are yet to face.
Your car park’s smoke control system may not be ready.
While EVs are hailed for their sustainability, the fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries are vastly different from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. These fires burn at extreme temperatures, produce highly toxic smoke, and often re-ignite – posing a significant challenge for first responders and traditional fire engineering systems.
In enclosed car parks, this becomes a life safety issue, not just a regulatory one.
The EV Fire Challenge: Why Conventional Systems Fall Short
Legacy smoke control systems were never designed to manage the unique characteristics of EV battery fires. Most were calibrated based on the predictable combustion profile of petrol or diesel vehicles. EVs bring a new, unpredictable risk – one that demands enhanced ventilation, strategic airflows, and rapid smoke extraction to preserve escape routes and visibility.
Relying on outdated infrastructure could compromise lives, emergency response times, and long-term asset value.
Is your car park smoke control system ready for electric vehicles? EV battery fires are not the same as petrol or diesel fires. Your old system may not protect your people – or your property. Let’s talk about EV-ready fire safety.
What We Offer
At IC Colt Sub-Saharan Africa, we don’t deal in guesswork – we deliver certified safety.
As the certified Sub-Saharan partner of Kingspan Light + Air International and representing the respected legacy of Colt International, we provide:
- ✅ EN 12101-compliant smoke control systems, tailored for EV risks
- ✅ Full lifecycle solutions: design, supply, install, commission, maintain
- ✅ Future-forward strategies that integrate fire safety, sustainability, and smart building technologies
- ✅ Ongoing technical support and local skills development for long-term capability
Why This Matters Now
Sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly urbanising. We’re seeing a surge in mixed-use developments, commercial car parks, and EV adoption in metro corridors.
Retrofitting now, before incidents occur, is not just more cost-effective – it’s responsible risk management.
Let’s Future-Proof Your Car Parks
Whether you’re a developer, property owner, facilities manager, or public sector stakeholder, now is the time to assess and adapt your infrastructure for the EV era.
We’re ready to support you with expert consultation, site-specific design, and the confidence of international certification.
- For basement and underground car parks, you would require high temperature extract fans to remove fumes and/or smoke and a way to move air around the building – typically this can be achieved with jet fans.
- For a partially enclosed car park with some openings to outside, you may only need a set of ambient rated air movement fans (or possibly just the jet fans) as it is not always necessary to have the extract fans.
- For open-sided car parks, because there are so many openings to the outside, wind will usually be sufficient to ventilate the car park without the help of any mechanical systems.
???? Ready to talk?
Drop us a message, or contact us directly on our website to arrange a no-obligation site assessment. Let’s engineer a safer future together.
