Renault Licensing Technology to Combat Electric Vehicle Battery Fires at No Cost

Renault is licensing its own patented technology to combat electric vehicle battery fires to the rest of the auto industry for free, reports The Drive.

The automaker’s “Fireman Access” system makes it so that firefighters can easily flood the battery compartment with water. This is achieved through an adhesive disc covering a hole in the battery pack, that’s just weak enough to be broken through with a fire hose.

While EV battery fires typically take hours to extinguish, Renault has claimed its system allows fires to be taken care of in just minutes, and requires 10 times less water.

Currently, the Fireman Access can be found in all current Renault, Alpine, and Dacia EVs and plug-in hybrids—but Renault is offering the patent for other automakers to use at no cost, in a similar move to what Volvo did with the three-point seatbelt.

“Today, I’m delighted to be making this innovation freely available, because when it comes to a subject like safety, we need to break down all the barriers,” Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said in a press release. “This move is also in keeping with the commitment made alongside the United Nations, to make mobility safer all over the world.”