Firefighters have warned electric vehicle owners to install smoke detectors where they charge their cars following a “lucky escape” for a family in Sydney’s northwest.
A faulty electric vehicle (EV) charger has caused serious damage to a house at Galston when it failed in the early hours of Wednesday.
A NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman said crews were called to the home about 4.30am.
“While there were no smoke alarms in the garage, a working smoke alarm in the hallway activated, allowing the family time to safely evacuate and giving firefighters a chance to extinguish the fire before it spread further into the home,” she said.
“Remember, it’s important you have multiple smoke alarms installed throughout your home, particularly in areas where combustible materials may be present.”
The RFS suggests people install smoke detectors where any combustible items – including EVs – are present.
The Galston blaze follows a similar fire in Victoria in 2024 when an international adaptor used to charge a Nissan Leaf failed, prompting authorities to urge people to use proper equipment when charging.
EV expert Emma Sutcliffe, director of EV Firesafe, said while she was not aware of specific details surrounding this week’s incident, her business had recorded “an increase in the number of fires originating in poor electrical wiring or poor charging practices”.
“Using a power adaptor, power board or extension cord is not advisable,” she said.
“If you’ve bought an EV, please purchase an electrically compliant charging unit and have it installed by an electrician.
“You will save yourself a lot of heartache.”
Ms Sutcliffe said EV fires were relatively rare, with only 14 verified blazes involving the batteries of plug-in electric or hybrid vehicles occurring in Australia.
Some EVs come with charging adaptors to plug into household power points, while others come with more comprehensive charging arrangements that must be professionally installed.
Ms Sutcliffe said many people were not aware that some EVs should not be charged using household power points.
“We call it ‘dumb ways to charge’, but people just don’t know any better,” she said.
“They treat it like it’s a fridge. Your fridge pulls power up and down when it needs to cool, while your car pulls constant power. It’s not like your fridge.”
The fire warning comes as futuristic car seats made popular by Chinese EVs could be banned. The “zero-gravity” seats which are capable of reclining to a near-flat position, have come under the microscope in China, where regulators are investigating after fatal crashes involving Xiaomi SU7 sedans last year.
The seats also feature in some BYD, Zeekr and Xpeng vehicles.
Any ban in China would have flow-on effects in Australia, with local regulators understood to be watching the investigations closely.