Is it safe to transport hazardous materials with a heavy-duty electric vehicle? What risks do the lithium-ion batteries create? Does the use of electric charging stations create more safety concerns when hauling hazardous cargo?
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration wants the answers to those questions and is asking industry experts, fleet operators, manufacturers, emergency responders and other industry stakeholders for help.
In a notice and request for information that is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Monday, Feb. 2, PHMSA announced that it is opening a 90-day public comment period as part of its fact-finding mission.
“PHMSA requests feedback on the potential safety risks, operational challenges and regulatory implications of using heavy-duty electric vehicles to internal combustion engine motor carriers for the transportation of hazardous materials,” the agency wrote. “PHMSA is interested particularly in how this change may impact hazmat packaging integrity, transportation safety, emergency response procedures, regulatory compliance and overall vehicle-related risk.”
The concerns regarding electric vehicle batteries aren’t new. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation held a virtual stakeholder meeting addressing electric vehicle battery safety.
One common theme was that EV batteries can reignite well after the initial fire. After an electric vehicle fire is put out, the battery may still maintain a charge. Consequently, it is susceptible to reigniting while the damaged vehicle is being transported or stored. In some cases, the EV battery reignited while being towed. In other cases, the battery reignited in the tow yard days later.
Those concerns are amplified when you’re putting that electric vehicle battery in a heavy-duty truck that is hauling hazardous materials.
PHMSA’s notice includes dozens of questions. Some of the questions include:
- What, if any, differences exist in containment failure risks resulting from heat generated by EV batteries compared to fuel-based internal combustion engine systems?
- How does the weight distribution and the increase in total powertrain weight of EV batteries affect cargo safety compared to internal combustion engine motor carriers?
- Are there certain types or classes of hazardous materials (e.g., flammables, corrosives, or explosives) that pose an increased risk when transported by EVs versus internal combustion engine motor carriers?
- How do hazmat cargo risks differ based on the interaction with heavy-duty EV powertrains versus internal combustion engine systems?
- What, if any, potential vulnerabilities exist in vehicle electronics, cooling systems, or containment barriers that are unique to EV hazmat transportation? Please include vulnerabilities in loading and unloading operations.
- How do the fire risks associated with thermal runaway in EV batteries differ from an internal combustion engine vehicle involved in equivalent incidents?
- What risks arise from charging heavy-duty EVs carrying hazardous materials, compared to refueling internal combustion engine motor carriers?
- Do the physical locations of charging stations (i.e., spacing between stations and proximity to buildings) or the location of a charging port on the vehicle pose a unique risk for hazmat carriers? How might infrastructure design be improved to enhance safety in these contexts?
- What risks are there for an EV fire in a tunnel? How would the issues change or be added for hazmat carriers?
- Do existing hazmat transportation regulations effectively address the safety and operational considerations of both heavy-duty EVs and internal combustion engine motor carriers, including for purposes of loading and unloading hazardous materials, or are regulatory updates needed to account for the unique challenges posed by EV technology?
- Should hazmat packaging, containment protocols, or safety certifications be revised or updated to meet EV-specific risks?
- Should fire response tactics be modified when a heavy-duty EV is transporting hazardous materials versus a standard consumer EV?
- Do the risks from a hazmat spill change based on whether the motor carrier is an EV or internal combustion engine powered vehicle?
- How do total operating costs for internal combustion engine motor carriers versus heavy-duty EVs affect hazmat transportation decisions?
- What is the economic impact on an area when there is an EV fire versus an internal combustion engine fire?
- What unknown risks still require research regarding hazmat transportation via EVs versus internal combustion engine motor carriers?
How to comment
Once the notice is published in the Federal Register, the public will have 90 days to answer the agency’s questions and comment overall. To submit a comment, go to Regulations.gov and enter PHMSA-2025-0678. There, you can also find the full list of PHMSA’s questions. LL
Land Line Associate Editor Tyson Fisher contributed to this article.
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