Renault Group says it’s solved one of the big safety challenges of electric vehicles and is offering the remedy to the auto industry for free.

The French automaker introduced what it's called the Fireman Access technology that it says makes EV fires extinguishable in just minutes instead of a sometimes hours-long process that requires additional safety measures for the vehicles.

Renault said it’s offering the patented technology through free licensing to any industry entity. It developed the technology in collaboration with firefighting agency representatives.

The automaker said the remedy involves placing an adhesive disc over an opening in an EV’s battery to seal it for normal use. A fire hose jet can dislodge the disc and flood the battery cells to prevent what’s known as a thermal runaway, or rapid heating that can result in fore or explosion.

“In this way, a battery fire can be extinguished in just a few minutes, compared with several hours and ten times as much water without this feature,” Renault said in a press release about the innovation. 

The automaker said it’s filed seven patents for the Fireman Access system, which it now includes as standard on its lineup of electric and plug-in hybrid models.

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