Automatic Fire Detection and Safety Activation System for Electric Vehicles Using IoT to Enhance Passenger Safety and Risk Mitigation

Abstract

Fire accidents have become a common occurrence in both homes and industrial sites because of unpredictable weather patterns and human errors. The designed prototype detects fire incidents which allows users to operate fire extinguishing systems from a distance thus protecting firefighters from danger. The main idea behind this concept is to propose a model which creates an Automatic Fire safety System for Electric Vehicles that uses cost effective design and application. The fire extinguishing system activates when the vehicle fire extinguisher detects either flame or smoke from a vehicle fire and it executes automatic fire suppression. An electric vehicle has many reasons that can lead to fire accidents. The main reason behind the Electric Vehicle fires is the battery used in them. The above mentioned reasons have caused numerous incidents which resulted in complete vehicle destruction through fire. The installation of the automatic fire extinguishing system can minimize the financial loss which could arise from a fire, as well as increasing the safety level for the vehicle, occupants and other traffic participants.

Introduction

This text describes a smart fire detection and prevention system for electric vehicles (EVs) designed to reduce fire risks caused by battery overheating and electrical failures.

The problem addressed is that EVs are prone to fire hazards due to issues like battery overcharging, electrolyte leakage, short circuits, and crash damage. These risks are difficult to manage with traditional safety systems, and delays in response can lead to severe damage and loss of life. The study proposes an IoT-based solution to enable early detection and automatic response.

The proposed system uses temperature, smoke, and flame/photoelectric sensors connected to an Arduino microcontroller, along with a DC cooling fan, buzzer, relay modules, LCD display, and IoT connectivity (ESP8266/ESP32). The system continuously monitors battery conditions and detects abnormal temperature rise or smoke presence. When dangerous conditions are detected, it automatically activates safety measures such as cooling fans and alarms, while also sending real-time alerts to users through IoT platforms.

A key feature of the system is real-time monitoring and automatic protection, where the microcontroller processes sensor data and triggers responses instantly. The system also supports remote monitoring via cloud connectivity, allowing users to track EV safety status in real time.

The methodology includes continuous sensing, threshold-based decision-making, and automated activation of safety mechanisms. For example, when temperature exceeds a set limit (around 45°C) or smoke levels rise, the fan turns on, the buzzer alerts nearby users, and IoT notifications are sent.

Experimental results show that the system responds quickly and accurately to rising temperature and smoke levels, successfully activating protective actions within seconds. The prototype was tested on a small EV bus model and demonstrated effective real-time fire detection and response.

Conclusion

The integration of a Smart Safety System for Electric Vehicles (EVs) using IoT is crucial for enhancing the safety, performance, and longevity of EV batteries. This innovative system monitors key battery parameters like temperature and smoke, providing real-time alerts through IoT connectivity. In case of overheating or potential fire hazards, the system automatically activates safety mechanisms such as high-speed cooling fans or extinguishing units, effectively preventing accidents. This system\'s simplicity ensures minimal maintenance, making it a practical and cost-effective solution. Its compact design allows seamless integration without causing any discomfort to drivers or passengers. IoT connectivity enables remote monitoring and instant notifications to users, ensuring prompt action. With continued research and development, this smart safety system could revolutionize EV safety, offering scalable solutions adaptable to various battery types and sizes. It represents a significant step forward in ensuring EV reliability and user confidence in modern transportation.

References

[1] J. Chen, H. Wang, H. Yin, Y. Luo, and H. Zhang, \"A real-time monitoring system for lithium-ion battery based on Arduino platform,\" 2017 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Energy Engineering and Information Management (EEIM), 2017, pp. 105-108. [2] M. Z. Rahman and A. I. Al-Odienat, \"Real-time monitoring system for electric vehicle battery management using Internet of Things (IoT),\" 2019 IEEE 5th International Conference on Control, Automation and Robotics (ICCAR), 2019, pp. 853-858. [3] Raza and M. H. Zafar, \"Design and development of an intelligent battery management system for electric vehicles using Arduino,\" 2019 2nd International Conference on Electrical, Communication, Electronics, Instrumentation and Computing (ICECEIC), 2019, pp. 1-6. [4] R. Kumar and S. K. Sharma, \"IoT based real-time monitoring system for electric vehicle battery management using Arduino,\" 2020 2nd International Conference on Inventive Research in Computing Applications (ICIRCA), 2020, pp. 1035-1041. [5] K. Balan, V. Subramaniyaswamy, and M. Muthukumar, \"Design and implementation of electric vehicle battery monitoring and management system using Arduino,\" 2019 IEEE International Conference on Innovative Research and Development (ICIRD), 2019, pp. 1-5. [6] N. I. Badruddin, N. J. Nawawi, M. Y. Yusof, M. A. H. Aziz, and A. Ahmad, \"Design of battery monitoring system for electric vehicle using Arduino Uno,\" 2017 IEEE Conference on Energy Conversion (CENCON), 2017, pp. 260-263. [7] S. O. Hjelle, P. Romano, and L. Solheim, \"Real-time monitoring and control system for electric vehicle battery packs,\" 2018 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Technology (ICIT), 2018, pp. 1271-1276. [8] K. E. H. Lai, K. C. Ng, W. T. Chan, C. H. T. Lee, and J. D. D. Eng, \"Real-time monitoring system for electric vehicle battery management using Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning techniques,\" 2020 IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE), 2020, pp. 1-6. [9] R. Suresh Kumar, S. Elango, M. Vijayan and, and S. A. Vijay, \"Development of battery management system for electric vehicle using Arduino,\" 2018 International Conference on Circuit, Power and Computing Technologies (ICCPCT), 2018, pp. 1-6. [10] J. Wang, L. Hu, and Z. Li, \"Research on real-time monitoring system of electric vehicle lithium-ion battery based on Internet of Things,\" 2019 2nd IEEE International Conference on Renewable Energy and Power Engineering (REPE), 2019, pp. 127-131. [11] Pandey and R. Kumar, \"An overview of battery management system for electric vehicles,\" 2019 International Conference on Automation, Computational and Technology Management (ICACTM), 2019, pp. 51-56. [12] X. Zhang, X. Li, Y. Chen, and X. Zhang, \"Battery monitoring system for electric vehicle based on cloud platform,\" 2018 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC), 2018, pp. 1-6.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Mr. Krunal Pache, Prof. K. G. Thakare, Prof. V. M. Pimpalkar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.