An interesting video (concerning ?)

[jimlews]

"E-bikes: Battery fire destroys family home

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c623938dq6no

Very quickly !

[rareposter]

The most concerning thing about that is how the media report it as "e-bike" and everyone immediately lumps all e-bikes in together and assumes that any of them could blow up at any second.

Then you get issues with home insurance (who won't insure a property if you have one), hotels (who won't let them in the rooms), employers (who won't let them into bike storage/the office) and so on.

As usual, it was a modified bike - the article at least mentions that but nothing about what type of modification, legal or illegal, self-done or shop-fitted etc.

The whole bike industry really needs to start shouting very loudly about the safety issues around batteries and chargers bought online and to start stressing how factory-built, professionally made e-bikes (and e-scooters) have never been involved in any of these fires.

[Cowsham]

The most concerning thing about that is how the media report it as "e-bike" and everyone immediately lumps all e-bikes in together and assumes that any of them could blow up at any second.

Then you get issues with home insurance (who won't insure a property if you have one), hotels (who won't let them in the rooms), employers (who won't let them into bike storage/the office) and so on.

As usual, it was a modified bike - the article at least mentions that but nothing about what type of modification, legal or illegal, self-done or shop-fitted etc.

The whole bike industry really needs to start shouting very loudly about the safety issues around batteries and chargers bought online and to start stressing how factory-built, professionally made e-bikes (and e-scooters) have never been involved in any of these fires.

If I owned a hotel I wouldn't allow ebikes in but have an outside container for storage / charging cos you couldn't be sure about each individuals bike origin --- I reference the thread about aliExpress viewtopic.php?t=163751

[Cowsham]

"E-bikes: Battery fire destroys family home

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c623938dq6no

Very quickly !

Wow that's very fast

[Vantage]

Stupid people buying cheap batteries and not keeping an eye on them.

[Grandad]

Stupid people buying cheap batteries and not keeping an eye on them

Agree rhey are stupid but how do you keep an eye on a charging battery? Even if you see the instant that it explodes there is nothing that can be done

[rareposter]

Stupid people buying cheap batteries and not keeping an eye on them.

It's usually a case of mismatched charger and battery. Even cheap batteries can be reliably charged with the correct charger but when you try to use a charger that is giving out more power than the battery can take in or a charger that can't read the battery management system, then you run into problems.

It's part of the reason that e-bikes (proper legitimate ones from credible manufacturers) use such weird proprietary connections, it's to ensure that ONLY that one charger can be used on it.

[SimonCelsa]

Stupid people buying cheap batteries .....

Or perhaps 'people buying cheap batteries who are ignorant of the risks!'

HaHa, sorry, couldn't resist

[axel_knutt]

professionally made e-bikes (and e-scooters) have never been involved in any of these fires.

That's a pretty bold statement.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... image5.svg

[Cowsham]

professionally made e-bikes (and e-scooters) have never been involved in any of these fires.

That's a pretty bold statement.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... image5.svg

Exactly -- I have first hand experience of a lipoly blowing up. Both charger and battery made by a very reputable manufacturer but it was the way I treated the battery that caused the fire. Luckily I knew of the dangers and had left the battery out in the middle of the garage floor and it was a very small battery compared to ebike batteries. I had let it run too low and my lipoly charger which has all the balancing auto shut off etc circuits in ( instead of being in the battery housing like an ebike battery ) wouldn't charge it so I put it on a nicad charge cycle to try and bring the voltage up far enough for the lipo charger to finish the job, which worked but as it was charging via it's proper lipo charger it blew up. ( didn't do too much damage but an airplane wing cover got melted 4 feet away ! ) nothing left of the battery except the foil wrap.

[Pebble]

professionally made e-bikes (and e-scooters) have never been involved in any of these fires.

That's a pretty bold statement.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... image5.svg

Exactly -- I have first hand experience of a lipoly blowing up. Both charger and battery made by a very reputable manufacturer but it was the way I treated the battery that caused the fire. Luckily I knew of the dangers and had left the battery out in the middle of the garage floor and it was a very small battery compared to ebike batteries. I had let it run too low and my lipoly charger which has all the balancing auto shut off etc circuits in ( instead of being in the battery housing like an ebike battery ) wouldn't charge it so I put it on a nicad charge cycle to try and bring the voltage up far enough for the lipo charger to finish the job, which worked but as it was charging via it's proper lipo charger it blew up. ( didn't do too much damage but an airplane wing cover got melted 4 feet away ! ) nothing left of the battery except the foil wrap.

Blew up (like a bomb) or just burst into flames and burnt brightly like magnesium ?

[Cowsham]

That's a pretty bold statement.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... image5.svg

Exactly -- I have first hand experience of a lipoly blowing up. Both charger and battery made by a very reputable manufacturer but it was the way I treated the battery that caused the fire. Luckily I knew of the dangers and had left the battery out in the middle of the garage floor and it was a very small battery compared to ebike batteries. I had let it run too low and my lipoly charger which has all the balancing auto shut off etc circuits in ( instead of being in the battery housing like an ebike battery ) wouldn't charge it so I put it on a nicad charge cycle to try and bring the voltage up far enough for the lipo charger to finish the job, which worked but as it was charging via it's proper lipo charger it blew up. ( didn't do too much damage but an airplane wing cover got melted 4 feet away ! ) nothing left of the battery except the foil wrap.

Blew up (like a bomb) or just burst into flames and burnt brightly like magnesium ?

I don't really know cos I was in the house at the time but heard the smoke alarm go off in the garage. I ran out to the garage opened the door and was met with thick grey smoke. Through the smoke I saw the glimmer of flame on the floor. Nothing left of the batteries the whole thing burned away. When the smoke had cleared I noticed the model plane wing solar film covering all wrinkled up so the heat must have been fierce and when you consider the battery was about the size of your fist I'd shudder to think what could happen should a bike battery go up. I've watched videos of lipos go off and it's just like a flare. There's no controlling it.

Ever since that I've always charged my plane lipos in a big heavy ceramic pot I got from a charity shop.

I mounted a steel cabinet ( for electrical equipment ) on the outside wall at the side of the garage and drilled a hole from inside to get the charger lead into the box for charging my bike batteries. I couldn't risk charging them inside the garage, I'd lose a lot of my toys ( my lovely TDR ! ) and be very grumpy. If I lose a battery it's £250.

One chap at the flying club was charging his lipos in the boot of his Jeep -- there's a picture of him in the club house holding a wiper blade the only usable part left of his car.

[Vantage]

Stupid people buying cheap batteries .....

ebike fire.JPG

Or perhaps 'people buying cheap batteries who are ignorant of the risks!'

HaHa, sorry, couldn't resist

Guilty as charged

[Vantage]

Stupid people buying cheap batteries and not keeping an eye on them

Agree rhey are stupid but how do you keep an eye on a charging battery? Even if you see the instant that it explodes there is nothing that can be done

My bike whilst stored in the hallway is taken into the living room and charged there where I can keep an eye on it. Once in a while I put my hand on it to see if it's getting warm.

[Cowsham]

Stupid people buying cheap batteries .....

ebike fire.JPG

Or perhaps 'people buying cheap batteries who are ignorant of the risks!'

HaHa, sorry, couldn't resist

Guilty as charged

Shocking!