No SOP yet; Karnataka mulls EV charging safety norms after auto driver's death

STILL ‘EV’OLVING: As electric vehicle ecosystem grows, recurring mishaps raise concerns

Bengaluru: The tragic death of a 65-year-old auto driver in an alleged EV charging fire incident has once again raised serious concerns over safety practices in Bengaluru neighbourhoods, where such accidents are increasingly being reported from densely populated residential areas.

But the Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services Department is yet to release a dedicated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for EV charging safety for high rise buildings and individual buildings.

NBC norms

A senior officer from the Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services Department said the department is currently following the provisions under the National Building Code (NBC) 2016, while the proposed NBC 2025 safety norms are yet to be formally accepted and implemented. “We are currently following NBC 2016. The NBC 2025 rules are yet to be implemented as they have not been accepted yet. If these new rules are implemented, standard safety measures such as specifications for chargers, mandatory distance between vehicles and charging points, ventilation requirements in high-rise buildings and basement parking areas will become clearer,” the officer said.

Though it is advised not to install charging stations in the basements, many apartment complexes continue to install them. “We advise our members not to install charging stations in the basement. However, the SOP by the KERC or the Bescom does not prohibit such installations. While the officials from the fire safety department advise against it, there is no SOP from them and hence a few of them continue to use chargers in the basement as it is more convenient,” said Satish Mallya from the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation.

The officer said a recent national-level committee meeting discussed EV charging infrastructure, economic activity and revenue generation, but deliberations are still continuing on whether stricter safety regulations should be enforced.

“According to the proposed NBC 2025 recommendations, EV charging points should not be permitted below ground level. If charging is allowed in the first basement, it must be restricted only to slow or trickle charging,” the officer said.

The draft norms also propose compartmentalisation of charging areas inside basements, with each isolated section not exceeding 200 square metres. “Special fire safety measures including fire-resistant materials, sand buckets and powder- or gas-based fire extinguishers should be made mandatory in EV charging zones,” the officer added.

Highlighting electrical concerns, the officer said the proposed code also focuses on preventing overloading of building electrical systems and recommends proper earthing, grounding and surge protection mechanisms.