Renault Group has decided to make the Fireman Access patents freely available to the entire automotive industry. Car manufacturers and parts suppliers can now obtain a free licence for this innovation through the open collaborative platform at www.renault.fr/universalpatent. In return, as part of this collaborative principle, licensees agree that any upgrades will be made available to other members of the community.

The result of close collaboration between Renault Group and the fire services, Fireman Access is an exclusive innovation allowing emergency services to put out a fire on an electric vehicle in roughly the same time as on a combustion vehicle.

From a technical standpoint, an adhesive disc is placed over an opening in the casing of the vehicle’s traction battery, effectively sealing it for normal use. If the vehicle catches fire and the flames spread to the battery, the powerful jet from the fire hose dislodges the disc and drenches the cells in water—the only fast and effective way of stopping thermal runaway.

In this way, a battery fire can be extinguished in just a few minutes, compared with several hours and ten times as much water without this feature. Fireman Access thereby enables firefighters to return to operational readiness more quickly. Seven patents have been filed for this system, which is now fitted on all the electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold by Renault, Dacia, Alpine and Mobilize worldwide.

This initiative is the first practical expression of the commitment made by Renault Group to work alongside United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, in raising awareness of road safety around the world and deploying technological innovations to save lives on the roads.