The sole federal document advising tow operators on how to store damaged electric vehicles is NHTSA Interim Guidance DOT HS 811 576, published in March 2014. It does not specify separation distances, require thermal monitoring, or address quarantine periods. In 2020, the NTSB investigated four EV battery fires and found three of four vehicles reignited at storage facilities, calling the 50-foot separation recommendation "impractical at best" for typical tow yards. FMVSS 305a, finalized in December 2024, requires manufacturers to submit Emergency Response Guides by December 2025 but imposes no obligations on the facilities that actually store the vehicles. No state has enacted storage distance, containment, or monitoring requirements for damaged EVs at tow yards.
Operator takeaway
No federal or state rule tells you how far from a building to park a damaged EV, how long to monitor it, or what containment to put under it. Review your yard layout and establish an EV staging protocol before an incident forces you to improvise.