When reporting that the first three months of 2023 saw four UK deaths due to exploding lithium-ion batteries in ebikes and escooters, the MailOnline described battery-powered bikes and scooters as the \u201cdeadly e-bombs in Britain\u2019s homes\u201d.<\/p>\n
So what causes ebike fires, should we be worried and how can you stay safe?<\/p>\n
The causes of electric bike battery failure<\/h2>\n ![\"Specialized]( "\\"Specialized")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div> Electrical Safety First\u2019s Battery Breakdown report outlines the conditions that can lead to ebike fires.<\/span><\/figcaption> Simon Bromley \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nElectrical Safety First is the UK\u2019s leading charity on electrical safety.<\/p>\n
The charity\u2019s 57-page Battery Breakdown<\/em> report<\/a> on escooter and ebike fires listed three main external conditions that contribute to ebike and escooter battery failure.<\/p>\n\n- Electrical:<\/strong> typically due to overcharge or over-discharge. It can be due to incompatibility between the battery and charger, a sub-standard battery management system or an external short circuit.<\/li>\n
- Mechanical:<\/strong> triggered by crushing or penetration of a battery with an external object, or an extreme or repeated impact.<\/li>\n
- Thermal:<\/strong> Extreme high- and low-temperature environments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are strict safety laws for EPACs (electrically power-assisted cycles).<\/p>\n
\u201cSelling dangerous goods is an offence (under the General Product Safety Regulations),\u201d says Peter Eland, technical and policy director at the Bicycle Association, the national trade association for the UK cycle industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, of course, that can be impossible for the UK authorities to enforce if the seller is overseas or is using a disposable seller account on an online marketplace platform.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see a particular risk of substandard goods (ebikes and also third-party batteries, chargers and ebike conversion kits) coming from overseas sellers via online marketplaces, direct to end users,\u201d Eland continues.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no easy way for the customer to be sure such goods are safe, whether they meet UK or EU standards or, if claiming to be branded, whether they are genuine or counterfeit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe UK cycle industry would strongly support measures to ensure that these sellers face the same regulatory oversight as reputable UK retailers,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
![\"The]( "\\"ebike-fire\\"\/")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div> An ebike fire in Ilford (left) and one in Shepherd\u2019s Bush (right).<\/span><\/figcaption> London Fire Brigade<\/i><\/span><\/div>\nElectrical Safety First agrees. In 2022, the charity identified nearly 60 listings by third-party sellers across four of the biggest online marketplaces that failed to meet the UK plug standard, with many even lacking a fuse.<\/p>\n
This is one of the causes of a phenomenon in lithium-ion batteries known as \u2018thermal runway\u2019.<\/p>\n
This is when a battery cell overheats, due to an internal fault, physical or electrical abuse, or extreme temperatures. This causes exothermic reactions and more heat spreads.<\/p>\n
Eventually, the cell becomes unstable inside and collapses. Cue flammable and toxic gases, fire and explosion. Heat then spreads to nearby cells, and they do the same.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udea8E-bike and e-scooter fires are London’s \ud835\udc1f\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc2d-\ud835\udc20\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc30\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc27\ud835\udc20 fire trend\ud83d\udea8
![\"Specialized](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2020\/03\/turbo-levo-sl-comp-carbon-extender-cable-df2bf15-scaled.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" "\\"Specialized")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>Electrical Safety First is the UK\u2019s leading charity on electrical safety.<\/p>\n
The charity\u2019s 57-page Battery Breakdown<\/em> report<\/a> on escooter and ebike fires listed three main external conditions that contribute to ebike and escooter battery failure.<\/p>\n There are strict safety laws for EPACs (electrically power-assisted cycles).<\/p>\n \u201cSelling dangerous goods is an offence (under the General Product Safety Regulations),\u201d says Peter Eland, technical and policy director at the Bicycle Association, the national trade association for the UK cycle industry.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, of course, that can be impossible for the UK authorities to enforce if the seller is overseas or is using a disposable seller account on an online marketplace platform.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see a particular risk of substandard goods (ebikes and also third-party batteries, chargers and ebike conversion kits) coming from overseas sellers via online marketplaces, direct to end users,\u201d Eland continues.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no easy way for the customer to be sure such goods are safe, whether they meet UK or EU standards or, if claiming to be branded, whether they are genuine or counterfeit.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK cycle industry would strongly support measures to ensure that these sellers face the same regulatory oversight as reputable UK retailers,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Electrical Safety First agrees. In 2022, the charity identified nearly 60 listings by third-party sellers across four of the biggest online marketplaces that failed to meet the UK plug standard, with many even lacking a fuse.<\/p>\n This is one of the causes of a phenomenon in lithium-ion batteries known as \u2018thermal runway\u2019.<\/p>\n This is when a battery cell overheats, due to an internal fault, physical or electrical abuse, or extreme temperatures. This causes exothermic reactions and more heat spreads.<\/p>\n Eventually, the cell becomes unstable inside and collapses. Cue flammable and toxic gases, fire and explosion. Heat then spreads to nearby cells, and they do the same.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8E-bike and e-scooter fires are London’s \ud835\udc1f\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2c\ud835\udc2d-\ud835\udc20\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc30\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc27\ud835\udc20 fire trend\ud83d\udea8\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2023\/10\/ebike-fire-bbd9150.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"ebike-fire\\"\/")
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