Fast forward to this year’s Singapore International Disaster and Emergency Management Expo (SIDEX), where the SCDF revealed a robotic unit designed to handle EV fires.
Now, statistically, EVs are less likely to catch fire than internal combustion engine vehicles. But when an EV battery does ignite, it presents intense hazards that can make the situation much more dangerous for bystanders, first responders, and property. Therefore, there’s a need for hardware that can quickly reduce the threat to people and property while safeguarding first responders.
Enter the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s Vehicle Extrication Robot (VXR), a remotely operated, tracked machine that looks like a cross between an industrial robot and a miniature armored recovery vehicle.
But unlike firefighting robots designed to extinguish flames, the VXR has a rather different job. Its purpose is to relocate an affected EV after the initial fire has been extinguished, when the battery may still be at risk of reigniting.
This is especially important in enclosed carparks, where leaving a potentially unstable EV is hardly an ideal situation.
The robot features a rear-mounted, pincer-like mechanism that slides beneath the vehicle, lifts its front wheels, and tows it to a safer location. Better yet, firefighters can operate the VXR remotely from up to 300 m (984 feet) away, keeping themselves out of harm’s way.
There’s also an integrated water mist system that shields the robot from radiant heat during recovery operations. So, even if the vehicle remains dangerously hot, the VXR can continue its mission without putting a firefighter behind the wheel of a tow truck.
Once the affected EV has been relocated to an open area, firefighters can continue cooling it using other specialized equipment, including unmanned firefighting machines and battery-targeted extinguishing systems.
The VXR made its public debut on October 28, 2026, at SIDEX 2026. Operational trials began at Punggol Fire Station that same month, with another unit scheduled for Kallang Fire Station in April 2027.
And there’s a good reason SCDF is investing in such specialized equipment. Electric vehicles accounted for more than 60% of new vehicle registrations in Singapore during the first half of 2026.
With EV adoption showing no signs of slowing, having a robot that can remove a potentially hazardous vehicle from a confined space sounds like a rather sensible addition to the firefighting fleet.
You can see the SCDF Vehicle Extrication Robot in action in the video below.
