Denmark’s electric and hybrid vehicle fires are becoming less frequent, with new data showing the fire rate per 10,000 electric and hybrid cars dropped 29 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, even as a new tax law makes it easier to install chargers in apartment buildings across the country.
The fire risk story is more nuanced than most coverage suggests. According to the Danish Emergency Management Agency, Beredskabsstyrelsen, fires involving electric and hybrid cars remain operationally complex, with long cooling times and risk of reignition. Nordic data from the European Fire Safety Alliance indicate that electric car fires are not more intense than petrol car fires and have typical durations of 60 to 90 minutes, though they require specialized tactics and pose distinct challenges in underground parking and multi-storey buildings.
According to Statistics Denmark, Denmark crossed a milestone in March 2026. Electric cars now outnumber diesel vehicles for the first time. The country had 592,600 electric passenger cars at the end of March, making up 20.2 percent of all cars. Diesel cars stood at 565,400. New EV registrations that month reached 14,600 vehicles, equal to 76.6 percent of all new cars.
The Fire Rate for Electric and Hybrid Cars Is Falling
According to Beredskabsstyrelsen, recorded fires in electric and hybrid cars rose from 20 incidents in 2022 to 46 in 2023. The number of such vehicles grew from roughly 220,000 to 330,000 in the same period. That pushed the fire rate from 1.1 per 10,000 electric and hybrid cars in 2022 to 1.7 per 10,000 in 2023.
As reported by FDM, citing Beredskabsstyrelsen’s preliminary 2024 figures, the rate fell back to around 1.2 per 10,000, a 29 percent reduction compared to 2023. Beredskabsstyrelsen notes that fires in electric and hybrid cars remain relatively few and moderate relative to the growing fleet. Yet when they occur, they can require specialized tactics and pose distinct challenges in underground parking and multi-storey housing.
Batteries can reignite hours after being extinguished, forcing long cooling periods, water tank submersion, or cordoning off entire parking areas. For internationals living in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and other large municipalities, this matters. Many live in apartment blocks with shared garages where fire safety measures were designed around combustion engines, not battery fires that demand specialized intervention.
New Tax Law Makes Charging Easier in Apartment Buildings
Since 1 January 2026, a new Danish law has expanded electricity tax refunds for EV charging, effectively subsidizing large-scale charging services and home charging even when households produce electricity from solar panels. The law, known as L 25, extends the existing refund scheme so that companies offering EV charging services can reclaim electricity tax even if the customer has their own renewable power production.
According to Folketinget bill L 25, this removes a specific tax-related constraint on refunds where customers had their own solar generation, making it easier to install chargers in solar-equipped buildings. The law covers electricity used in EV charging installations from 1 January 2026 through 31 December 2030.
Denmark’s EV stock increased by 205,000 vehicles, or 53 percent, between March 2025 and March 2026, according to Statistics Denmark. Almost 9,300 of 19,000 new cars in March 2026 were leasing vehicles, and 65.2 percent of them were electric. That means a significant share of EVs park in employer or fleet garages, where fire safety responsibilities may be divided among companies, landlords, and leasing firms.
China Sets Strict New EV Battery Safety Rules
China will enforce new national safety rules from July 2026 that set test requirements so that batteries under thermal runaway must not ignite or explode, and any smoke must not be harmful to occupants. According to Danish automotive outlet Boosted.dk, batteries must also withstand at least 300 fast-charging cycles and then a deliberate short circuit without fire or explosion.
This Chinese standard may indirectly affect Danish consumers through imported EV models. If Chinese-built EVs demonstrate safer battery behavior in real-world fires, Danish authorities and insurers could eventually pressure other manufacturers to match that standard.
What Residents Can Do
Official Danish guidance focuses on using approved chargers, having installations done by authorized electricians, and avoiding extension cords in car parks. For internationals, using professional charging providers covered by the L 25 tax refund scheme is a practical option. These companies typically apply technical standards and remote monitoring that individual owners may lack.
Residents in apartment buildings should check their house rules and homeowner association communications for EV-specific requirements such as permitted charger types and emergency procedures. These are rarely translated but can be requested in English. EV drivers using ferries should consult the carrier’s rules in advance, as some Scandinavian ferry operators have introduced EV-specific rules, including in some cases requiring disclosure at check-in.
In case of a suspected battery fire issue, such as a smell of sweet solvent-like vapor, hissing, or smoke from the underbody, Beredskabsstyrelsen advises evacuating the area and calling 112. Do not attempt to extinguish a battery fire with small portable extinguishers.
