The ZEPI Kit offers a practical and comprehensive fire safety approach designed specifically for enclosed areas where electric vehicles (BEV and PHEV) are charged. It fills a crucial gap in current regulations by providing a safe, compliant, and efficient strategy to protect both property and people. Based on a detailed risk assessment, it helps:
Keep fire conditions under control
Limit heat, smoke, and toxic exposure
Protect nearby vehicles and infrastructure
Ensure firefighters can safely intervene The kit also outlines technical requirements for safely managing the risks of lithium-ion battery fires.
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The ZEPI (Fire-Safe Electric Zone) proposal introduces a comprehensive, scalable fire safety strategy tailored for enclosed spaces where electric vehicles (BEV and PHEV) are parked and charged. In the absence of prescriptive fire protection standards for these new risks, ZEPI provides a validated framework grounded in performance-based engineering.
Its core objectives are:
to mitigate the growing fire risks posed by lithium-ion batteries,
to ensure safe conditions for rapid intervention by emergency responders,
to provide infrastructure owners with a legally sound and technically justified protection scheme,
and to incorporate sustainable practices by minimizing water usage and managing toxic runoff in fire events.
ZEPI’s relevance stems from the sharp rise in EV adoption and the lack of regulatory tools to protect indoor charging zones. Fires involving EVs present unique challenges such as delayed ignition, re-ignition, high heat output, and toxic emissions. ZEPI addresses these through an integrated solution: low-pressure water mist, early smoke detection (ASD), fire curtains, compartmentation, ventilation, and a control panel designed specifically for fire teams.
The strategy was successfully implemented at the BBVA La Isla underground parking facility in Madrid, protecting 93,000 square meters—demonstrating its real-world applicability, technical feasibility, and operational value.
ZEPI contributes directly to EU disaster resilience goals by strengthening first responder capabilities, reducing potential damage, and enabling safer, more sustainable urban mobility infrastructure.
ZEPI presents a groundbreaking approach to fire protection in indoor electric vehicle charging areas. Its innovation lies in addressing a real, emerging risk with a performance-based design that integrates multiple advanced systems, validated in a full-scale, real-world setting.
The ZEPI strategy is tailored specifically to the unique behavior of lithium-ion battery fires—such as delayed ignition, intense heat release, re-ignition, and toxic smoke—conditions for which traditional sprinkler systems and detection methods are not designed. Instead, ZEPI uses a combination of:
Low-pressure water mist: for efficient fire suppression, reduced water use, and minimized damage.
Aspirating Smoke Detection (ASD): capable of detecting incipient fires at the earliest stage.
Fire curtains and passive compartmentation: to contain fire and smoke within controlled zones.
Smoke control systems: that manage visibility and toxic exposure in confined garages.
A custom emergency control panel: placed outside the hazard area, allowing responders to monitor heat levels, operate suppression, and coordinate safely—without entering the risk zone.
This integration of fire dynamics, technology, and first responder usability is at the core of ZEPI’s strength. The system is also modular and scalable, allowing adaptation to a wide range of parking facilities, whether for new builds or retrofits.
Critically, ZEPI has already proven its effectiveness: it was fully deployed in the BBVA La Isla underground parking facility in Madrid, covering 97,000 m². This real-world implementation demonstrates the solution's technical feasibility, operational impact, and replicability.
ZEPI goes beyond compliance—it creates a new safety standard for the EV era, grounded in innovation, resilience, and real user needs.
Real Problem Addressed: ZEPI tackles the lack of fire safety rules for EV charging indoors with a clear and tested framework.
Proven in Practice: Fully deployed at BBVA “La Vela”, following the ZEPI Guide from analysis to implementation.
Flexible Rollout: ZEPI works in both new projects and upgrades, wherever there are five or more EV spaces in a row.
The ZEPI project is led by a multidisciplinary team of 9 engineers at ASHES FIRE CONSULTING, bringing together expertise from across industrial, chemical, and civil engineering disciplines. The team is highly specialized in fire protection systems, risk analysis, and performance-based design, with deep knowledge of both active and passive fire strategies. This diverse technical foundation allows the firm to develop innovative and tailored solutions.
The ZEPI project is led by a multidisciplinary team of 9 engineers at ASHES FIRE CONSULTING, bringing together expertise from across industrial, chemical, and civil engineering disciplines. The team is highly specialized in fire protection systems, risk analysis, and performance-based design, with deep knowledge of both active and passive fire strategies. This diverse technical foundation allows the firm to develop innovative and tailored solutions.