Electric car fires in Scotland could be massively under-reported, experts warn
The number of electric car fires could be hugely under-reported, police and the fire service have claimed.
Outdated recording systems are being blamed for the lack of accurate data on the number of blazes in the vehicles.
New data shows only 17 electric vehicle (EV) fires recorded in Scotland since 2020-24, despite more than 80,000 of the cars believed to be on the roads at the end of last year.
The Home Office Incident Recording Systems (IRS) rely on a predetermined list of categories to record incidents which excludes a specific category to record lithium batteries, electric vehicles, e-bikes or e-scooters.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it makes it impossible to capture accurate data.
It said it is contributing to a group supporting the Scottish Governmen t and Home Office in a review of the IRS platform.
The Scottish Police Federation said it had also flagged up concerns over EV fires.
Its general secretary David Kennedy said: 'The lack of specific guidance and up-to-date equipment tailored to EV fires is something we believe needs urgent attention.
"We also share concerns about the outdated recording systems which mean the true scale of the risk is not fully understood or reported.'
EV fires can hit 600C to 2760C and first responders can be exposed to dangers including hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride.
EV fires can take much longer to extinguish and can reignite.
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