The parking situation at hospitals in the UK is one of the biggest complaints British people have. Sure, their doctors visits won’t leave them in financial ruin, but they sure as hell won’t come with free or ample parking. Now, one driver in the country has found a new hospital parking drama to complain about after they were turned away from a garage over fears that their electric car could burst into flames.
Paul Freeman-Powell was taking his son to an appointment at Liverpool’s Alder Hey hospital when they were told that EVs weren’t allowed in the hospital’s parking garages, reports CarScoops. When the driver arrived at the facility’s parking garage, they were met with a sign that said no electric vehicles were permitted.
After querying the decision with security at the garage, Freeman-Powell was told to instead park their car near the grass as the hospital’s garage was undergoing upgrades to its sprinkler systems. While the work was ongoing, EVs weren’t allowed inside over fire fears. As CarScoops reports:
Following his frustrating experience, Mr Freeman-Powell took to social media to complain and publicly share a “Freedom of Information Request” document he emailed to the hospital. In it, he states that ICE-powered vehicles are reportedly 20 times more likely to catch fire than EVs, and requests more information about the hospital’s decision-making process concerning the ban.
The hospital’s decision to ban EVs from one of its garages sparked outrage among clean vehicle campaigners. Since Freeman-Powell shared his experience across social media, others have spoken out about the differences in fire risks between electric and gas-powered cars on the roads.
Despite several high-profile fires being sparked by EVs in recent months, including onboard a cargo ship transporting hundreds of cars to America, EVs remain much less likely to ignite compared with gas cars. As the BBC explains:
Colin Walker, head of transport at the research group the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, agreed that the evidence did not support the hospital’s position.
“Data from EV FireSafe, which is backed by the Australian Government, indicates that petrol cars are over 80 times more likely to set on fire than EVs,” he told the BBC.
He also highlighted a report released last year from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency which found that in 2022 there was an average of 3.8 fires per 100,000 electric and hybrid cars, and 68 fires per 100,000 cars of all fuel types, with these figures including arson.
“It’s important that drivers understand the relative risks”, Mr Walker said.
The UK hospital is standing its ground and won’t allow EVs in the covered sections of its car park until updated sprinkler systems are installed. The move is on the grounds of advice from local fire services, reports the BBC, with the hospital instead saying that EV owners are welcome to park in the main Hospital car park as well as at one of the 14 EV charging spaces it has on site.