New EV Safety Training – Built for the Roadside, Not the Workshop

Our new Electric & Hybrid Vehicle (EV) course isn’t about diagnostics or repairs. It’s about knowing how to keep yourself and others safe when faced with real-world EV hazards - at the roadside, not in a controlled workshop.

As the prominence of electric vehicles (EVs) on UK roads continues to grow rapidly, attention is rightly turning to the unique safety challenges they present. While EVs offer environmental benefits, they also introduce new risks - particularly in roadside incidents involving damaged batteries, high-voltage systems, and the potential for fire or gas release. For recovery professionals and responders, it’s no longer a question of if you’ll encounter a compromised EV, but when.

There are already many EV training courses available, most focused on safe working practices for maintenance and repair. These are essential for technicians and engineers working in garage environments. But these courses may not address the unique challenges presented by EVs and hybrids at the roadside. Instead, we appear to be learning as we go, by trial and error and not actively sharing the critical safety data we are collecting with a wider community of professionals so we can more safely and appropriately respond to EV incidents. For example, what is the most appropriate response to a battery pack experiencing full thermal runaway - let it burn or supress?

There’s a better way.

We now have access to a growing body of real-world data, case studies, and frontline experiences. That information should be harnessed, not ignored.

This training brings it all together, so you can:

• Evaluate the different strategies being used in real incidents

• Understand what’s working and what isn’t

• Make informed, confident decisions in high-risk situations

We should never have to learn hard lessons twice - there’s more than enough real-world data and experience out there to make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes.

The first people on scene in an RTC

Our new programme is designed specifically for the first people on the scene of a breakdown or road traffic accident - the ones dealing with EVs in the most dangerous situations, often while the vehicle may still be live, unstable, or on fire. These include:

• Emergency responders

• Firefighters and police

• Highways and traffic officers

• Tow truck operators and recovery agents

• Damage assessors and salvage yard operators

  
  

This training is different. It’s built on lessons learned from real-world incidents around the globe — where EVs have been extensively damaged, caught fire, gone into thermal runaway, or released toxic gases following collisions or mechanical failure.

You’ll learn how to:

• Approach compromised EVs safely

• Understand battery fire risks and early signs of thermal runaway

• Recognise visual clues and manage risk at the roadside

• Review fire suppression strategies and responder considerations

• Use the correct PPE and isolate high-voltage systems

• Support safe occupant retrieval from crash-damaged EVs

• Learn from real incident case studies and best-practice reviews

Training goes live 11 August 2025