In order to ensure first Responder safety, Renault set up a collaborative approach to involve rescuers in our electrical vehicle conception. The breakthrough came from the integration of crash and fire deterioration from the earliest stages of vehicle development.

Collaboration with fire brigades revealed 5 key areas which were then dealt with:​ electrical vehicle identification;​ prevention of electrical risk during emergency intervention;​ the impact of Li Ion batteries on occupant extrication and fire;​ co-creation of decision-making tools (Emergency Response Guide or ERG, rescue cards);​ training sessions on electrical vehicles.

EV prototypes were provided to study how the 400V system affected fire brigade intervention. Extrication tests were led on the full range of Renault electrical vehicles to take into account the different locations of the 400V battery. Fire tests were carried out until total combustion of the 400V batteries was reached. Then, extinction tests in open and closed environments were conducted, led by French scientific laboratories. Temperatures, thermal radiation, and concentrations of flue gases effluents were measured in most of these tests.

A large number of electrical vehicles were donated to French and European fire brigades for extrication training and fire demonstration. Bespoke electrical vehicles were produced as training supports and offered to fire brigades. Trainings are given for free to French rescuers all around the year by an engineer from Renault, expert in electrical vehicle interventions.Finally, Renault regularly participates in national working groups with fire brigades and contributes to the ISO initiative on ERG writing and templates.

This combination of actions and results removed doubts as to the safety of electrical vehicle 400V batteries in a deteriorated state;​ enabled the proposal of a modus operandi for fire brigade intervention;​ led to the modification of the architecture of the 400V battery casing and the vehicle itself to improve rescuer intervention;​ highlighted the need to standardize service plug location across the range of Renault electrical vehicles. Thanks to this fruitful collaboration between Renault and French fire brigades, rescuers acquired knowledge and skills for intervention on Li Ion battery electrical vehicles.