If you own an electric car, an e-bike, an e-scooter, a cordless tool collection — or honestly, just a phone and a laptop — you already have lithium-ion batteries charging in your home. They're brilliant, lightweight and energy-dense. That same energy density is exactly what makes them dangerous when they fail.

When a lithium-ion cell goes into thermal runaway, it doesn't behave like a normal fire. It generates its own oxygen, burns ferociously hot, releases a cloud of toxic and flammable gas, and can reignite hours — even days — after it appears to be out. Pouring water on it or hitting it with a standard dry-powder extinguisher often does very little. This is the core problem: the fire gear in most Australian homes was never designed for this.

01Why a normal fire blanket isn't enough

A kitchen fire blanket is great for a flaming pan. It is not built to sit over a battery pack that's pumping out sustained, extreme heat. A purpose-built EV fire blanket is engineered specifically for lithium-ion fires: it's made from heat-resistant glass-fibre with a silicone coating, designed to withstand the kind of temperatures these fires produce and to contain the fire rather than extinguish it outright.

Containment is the goal that matters. By smothering the flames and trapping heat and toxic gas, the blanket buys you the most valuable thing in a fire: time. Time to get people out, time to stop the fire spreading to the rest of the garage, the house, or the car next to it, and time for Fire & Rescue to arrive.

02It's not just electric cars — it's everything you charge

People assume EV fire safety is only for Tesla owners. In reality, the fastest-growing source of lithium-ion fires in Australian homes is e-micromobility: e-bikes and e-scooters, often charging overnight in hallways, garages and apartments. Add power tools, robot vacuums, drones and dodgy phone chargers, and the risk is in nearly every home.

This is also why regulation is tightening. In NSW, new rules introduced for e-micromobility devices set safety standards around exactly these products — a clear signal that authorities now treat lithium-ion battery fires as a serious and growing hazard. If you manage a strata building, a workshop, a fleet or a warehouse, this isn't optional gear anymore; it's basic duty-of-care.

Who should have an EV fire blanket on hand:

• Homes & garages where any EV, e-bike, e-scooter or tool batteries are charged or stored
• Strata & apartment buildings with shared charging or bike storage areas
• Workshops, mechanics & dealerships servicing electric and hybrid vehicles
• Fleet operators, councils & facilities managers meeting safety and compliance obligations
• Warehouses & recycling sites storing batteries in volume

03Choosing the right size

An EV fire blanket is only useful if it actually covers what's burning. The right choice comes down to what you're protecting. A compact blanket is perfect for an e-bike or e-scooter by the front door; a full vehicle blanket is what you need to drape over a car or SUV; and heavy-duty options exist for larger vehicles and industrial settings.

04Where to buy an EV fire blanket in Australia

Here's the good news: you don't have to track this gear down from an obscure overseas supplier. EV Fire Solutions blankets are now available at Bunnings (online), alongside the full range on our own website. We're Australian owned and operated, and our products are also listed on buy.nsw.gov.au for government and public-sector buyers.

If you want the convenience and trust of Bunnings, you can grab the standard and heavy-duty blankets directly from our EV Fire Solutions brand page on Bunnings. If you want to see the complete range — including compact e-bike and e-scooter blankets, vehicle blankets and lithium-ion fire extinguishers — head straight to evfiresolutions.com.au, where you'll also find free shipping on orders over $500.