Virginia Legislature Approves Mandatory Firefighter Training for Electric Vehicle Fires

Stickers on an E3 Glory SUV is seen ahead of the Electric Vehicle Show at Olympic Park in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 25, 2019. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

As sales of electric vehicles (EVs) increase, there is a growing concern over EV fires, and the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill in February that would mandate all firefighters be trained on how to put out EV battery fires.

According to Kelly Blue Book, 5.8 percent of the new cars Americans bought in 2022 were electric, up from 3.2 percent in 2021, and total EV sales topped 800,000 for the first time.