In a rare act of bipartisan goodwill, Renault is making its lifesaving tech free for all to use.

The French maker has made its electric cars and plug-in hybrids much safer in the event of fire.

The Megane E-Tech, which is on sale in Australia, has a special access port for fire fighters to pump water directly on the battery if the vehicle is on fire.

This is claimed to be one of the safest and fastest ways to extinguish an electric car fire.

Electric car batteries are susceptible to thermal runaway, which means the battery can keep relighting long after the initial spark has been extinguished.

The ability to effectively flood the battery quickly allows firefighters to nullify the effects of the chemical reaction, which means the fire is less likely to spread and relight later.

Now Renault has made this patented technology available to all makers as part of a free licensing policy.

2025 Renault Megane E-Tech

Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said: “Innovating to improve road safety is part of who we are at Renault. We’re particularly proud of the partnership developed with the fire services in recent years. Fireman Access is a practical demonstration of what can be achieved by combining our expertise as a manufacturer with the skills of the men and women who keep us safe every day. 

“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. This move is also in keeping with the commitment made alongside the United Nations to make mobility safer, all over the world.”

Electric car fires are rare with just a handful reported in Australia, but the consequences can be extreme.

A recent electric car fire in South Korea, which ignited in an underground carpark of an apartment building, took eight hours to extinguish, destroyed about 140 cars and forced some residents to move to shelters.

2025 Renault Megane E-Tech

Seoul’s local government reacted swiftly to stop this from happening again.

EVs parked in underground public carparks across Seoul will be banned from having over 90 per cent charge and fast chargers are limited to replenishing a car’s battery to just 80 per cent.