An electric car caught fire in Melbourne’s eastern suburb of Glen Waverley, destroying a garage and prompting a safety warning from fire crews.
The blaze was caused by an aftermarket charger that was being used to power the Nissan Leaf, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) reported, as cited by Drive magazine.
The fire occurred on Tuesday, with crews arriving within five minutes to find the car completely engulfed in flames.
Two people and a dog managed to escape the house unharmed.
FRV determined that the fire was sparked by the use of a non-manufacturer charging cable, which was plugged into a travel adaptor.
They warned electric vehicle (EV) owners to only use the charging equipment supplied by the manufacturer and ensure it carries a Regulatory Compliance Mark, proving it meets Australian standards.
This incident marks the seventh EV fire in Australia since 2010.
Other fires have been caused by unrelated external factors, arson, crashes, and one was due to road debris damaging the battery.
While electric vehicles are considered 100 times less likely to catch fire than traditional petrol or diesel cars, their lithium-ion batteries burn more intensely and can be difficult to extinguish, making such fires more challenging for firefighters.
