The growing number of electric vehicles has led to the rapid development of charging infrastructure, but the placement of these stations must be carefully addressed from a fire safety perspective. The new technical regulations, including Standard P 118/1-2025 regarding fire safety in constructions, introduce clearer requirements for integrating charging stations into parking facilities, buildings, and other spaces with specific risks. The purpose of these measures is to limit fire spread, protect users, and ensure safe evacuation and intervention conditions.
In the case of underground or above-ground parking facilities, parking spaces equipped with charging stations must be assessed from the design phase or when modifying existing layouts. Separation from the rest of the parking area, fire resistance of construction elements, positioning of the stations, cable routing, protection of penetrations through walls or slabs, and maintaining functional evacuation routes are essential aspects. In addition, grouping charging spaces and avoiding the uncontrolled installation of multiple stations in the same area help reduce the risk of rapid fire spread.
For charging stations installed within fuel distribution stations, the assessment must be even more rigorous due to the existence of additional risk sources. Charging stations must be positioned in compliance with safety distances from buildings, installations, fueling areas, and other equipment within the site. If such a station is added to an existing fuel station, the fire safety documentation must be reviewed and, where necessary, updated according to the new configuration and risks introduced.
A charging station installed without technical assessment, without proper separation measures, without verification of the electrical installation, and without integration into the fire safety scenario may generate significant vulnerabilities. For this reason, owners, building managers, developers, and economic operators must treat the installation of charging stations as a technical intervention requiring careful design, approval, and verification, not merely as an additional facility.