Battery danger: Read this if you have an e-bike or e-scooter

EDIT: London Fire Brigade 'Charge Safe' campaign: https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/lithium-batteries/charging-electric-bike-and-electric-scooter-lithium-batteries/

The London Fire Brigade has issued many warnings about the danger of charging batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters inside homes. There has just been another fire caused by this:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ebike-fire-hospital-london-fire-brigade-hackney-b1127250.html

In London so far this year there have been 150 e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter fires, LFB said.

The combined total is 53% above the figure for the whole of last year and makes them “the capital’s fastest-growing fire trend”, according to the brigade.

Three people have died and around 60 people have been hurt in the fires this year.

LFB believes there is a lack of safety standards for e-bikes and e-scooters.

Assistant commissioner Pugsley said: “From our investigations, we know many of the fires we’ve attended have involved second-hand vehicles, the use of incorrect chargers, or the bike has been modified using parts bought online.

“If you’re thinking about buying one of these vehicles as a gift for a loved one for Christmas, please make sure you’re buying it, or parts for them – like batteries, conversion kits or chargers – from a reputable seller.

“If you receive one for Christmas, or you already own an e-bike or e-scooter, make sure you’re using the correct charger, you’re not overcharging, and that you don’t tamper with or modify the battery pack.

“Keep it well away from an escape route and store or charge the vehicle outside if possible.”

A recent survey for Electrical Safety First indicated that 52% of people planned to do the majority of their Christmas shopping for electronics via online marketplaces in an effort to cut costs.

The charity warned this could leave people at risk as “ruthless sellers” look to “cash in on Christmas at the expense of shoppers’ safety”.

More articles:

The London fire brigade has warned the public not to tackle ebike fires and has demanded “proper regulation” after a man sustained life-changing injuries when his bike caught fire on Friday, one of a spate of new battery blazes.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/sep/19/london-fire-brigade-warns-public-not-tackle-ebike-fires

Beware of buying dodgy kit:

So far in 2023, the Brigade has attended a record 128 e-bike fires and 26 e-scooter fires. This compares with 87 e-bike fires and 29 e-scooter fires in the whole of 2022. The fires are caused when the vehicles’ lithium batteries become damaged or fail.

The LFB told the Department for Business and Trade that greater “market surveillance” and testing requirements were needed to stop unsafe e-bike products from being sold online.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-fire-brigade-ebike-government-consultation-safety-chargesafe-escooter-lfb-b1116011.html

In an analysis of the 73 e-bike fires that occurred in the first six months of this year, LFB investigators found that at least 40 per cent are believed to involve a converted e-bike - that is a standard bike which has been electrically boosted using a so-called conversion kit.

At least 77 per cent are believed to have involved the failure of the bike’s battery and at least 41 per cent of the bikes are believed to have been on charge at the time of a fire starting.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/e-bike-scooter-fires-london-fire-brigade-conversion-kits-dangerous-record-b1104102.html

@Velocio, do you think this is worth being a sticky?

Difference between legitimate/reputable purchases and buying the cheapest thing one can?

LFB's concerns are more than legitimate.

But note, when your deliveroo/uber/exploitative company rider turns up a few mins late do you, dear reader, dear consumer see the connection?

And now for something completely different ... electric buses catching fire.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/tfl-london-electric-bus-fire-wimbledon-hill-road-north-woolwich-silvertown-sadiq-khan-b1132039.html

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/wimbledon-hill-road-bus-fire-electric-bus-tfl-b1131640.html

I think this provides a useful comparison; it's a very newsworthy event because it happens very rarely. Petrol buses also catch fire. You only have to remember the fires in the first articulated buses in London when TfL first introduced them. It's likely that petrol buses also catch fire more often than electric buses, as that's what happens with cars.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/20/do-electric-cars-pose-a-greater-fire-risk-than-petrol-or-diesel-vehicles

As before, the problem smaller vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters cause is mainly amplified by people keeping them in their flats, especially when charging them, as well as that some have used and are using inappropriate chargers.

This case from last year resulted in the death of Sofia Duarte. The bike appears to have been one of those conversions you see a lot, mainly ridden by food delivery riders.

Sofia Duarte, 21, died on New Year's Day when an e-bike ignited at her boyfriend's flat on Old Kent Road in Southwark, where she was staying after they had worked late together in a club.

Her partner Luis Zambrano, also 21, survived after leaping from the third-floor bedroom window, but Sofia was too scared to jump.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sofia-duarte-ebike-battery-london-fire-death-mother-petition-maria-macarro-b1131800.html

There's no suggestion that the bike was her boyfriend's, nor any indication of what caused this particular fire. It'[s also worth noting that the petition says it was a second-floor window.

Her mother and a friend have started a petition:

Sofia’s mother Maria Macarro has helped launch a petition in a bid to raise awareness about the risks of e-bike fires and to call for more regulation on e-bikes, e-scooters and the batteries and chargers sold with them.

Faulty batteries are often sold and bought online, resulting in a swathe of fires across London.

Ms Macarro said: "This matters so much to me because the most important thing in my whole world has been taken away – all because of some stupid bike.

"In honour of Sofia’s memory and the others who have sadly lost their lives too, sign the petition today!"

The petition, which has attracted more than 32,000 signatures, has been backed by the London Fire Brigade.

https://www.change.org/p/implement-legislation-and-regulations-on-e-bikes-and-e-scooters

There's a short list of deaths caused by e-bike fires in it, which is obviously not complete.

As linked to before and still worth noting again:

So far this year London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been called to one such fire once every two days on average – a 60 per cent increase compared to the same period as last year.

The London Fire Brigade 'Charge Safe' campaign, linked to from the above article:

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/lithium-batteries/charging-electric-bike-and-electric-scooter-lithium-batteries/

Added to the OP.

Yet another battery fire, in Whitechapel this time:

Borough Commander for Tower Hamlets, Richard Tapp, said it was “sadly yet another example” of the dangers of faulty batteries in e-bikes.

He also raised the dangers of storing the bikes in hallways, as it can block off escape routes if a fire occurs.

The Brigade is running a campaign to highlight the risks and are lobbying for changes to stop poor quality batteries, chargers and conversion kits being sold online.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ebike-fire-whitechapel-man-rescued-london-brigade-b1138839.html

A battery fire:

"E-bikes and e-scooters, which have become London's fastest-growing fire risk, should not be stored on escape routes. If you can't keep them outside or in a shed, they should be put in a room where you can shut a door and contain a fire,” the London Fire Brigade said.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pimlico-fire-johnsons-place-ebike-battery-upp-china-london-fire-brigade-b1141133.html

The inquest into Sofia Duarte's death has been held, although it's not clear whether it's concluded. The coroner's initial decision seems to me thoroughly unsatisfactory, but it may be going to be revised?

Mr Mooyaart concluded that Ms Duarte’s death was “accidental” and declined her family’s call for a Prevention of Future Death Report because there was “insufficient evidence” about why the batteries ignited.

But he went on to say he would reconsider the evidence, to decide whether a report is needed, after hearing a family friend’s plea.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/fire-ebike-battery-southwark-south-london-death-inquest-b1141702.html

I don't see what additional evidence on why exactly the battery/ies ignited would be needed for a report to be issued. The causes of battery fires are well known, and while it's very unlikely that it happened in a different way in this case, it's also irrelevant. Not sure if there will be more on this.

Here's a fuller write-up of Sofia Duarte's inquest, including an account of why the coroner didn't produce a Prevention of Future Deaths report. Frankly, I think his reasoning is wrong here.

However, he felt unable to write a prevention of future death report, as there wasn't enough evidence as to why the fire started from the e-bike. Ms Simoes then brought up a second reason for the report, saying there should be more rules around where the bikes are stored.

She said deaths could be prevented if bikes were not allowed to be stored in the only exit to a building - which is what happened to Sofia. Ms Simoes said: "If the bike was not at the entrance, Sofia could have been saved." She added: "We couldn’t prevent Sofia’s death, but we will do everything in our power to prevent others’."

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/adventurous-woman-21-died-horrific-28707263

It is abundantly clear that the fire started because of a fault with the e-bike, that there are multiple ways such a charging process can fail ...

The battery pack had been consumed by fire, Mr Elliott told the court, and a large part of the bike had been destroyed in the explosion. But this meant it was impossible to tell exactly why the battery pack failed - there were several possible causes, including the bike being overcharged, charging too quickly, or a possible fault with the battery itself.

... and I really don't think it matters exactly how or why it failed. There have been so many fires like this.

E-bike battery explodes in Shepherds Bush

https://www.instagram.com/p/C358Zdatd0E/?igsh=eWI5MDZxaGdhYXFp

1 Attachment

Wow. This was here:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/IntelExpress/@51.5056788,-0.2272956,3a,77.5y,308.59h,81.51t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sGuaT23azibnkSzMzKPEsgg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DGuaT23azibnkSzMzKPEsgg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D109.819016%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x48761cefef8e8c05:0xc5b1fb59d8196f2c!2sLondon+Borough+of+Hackney,+London!3b1!8m2!3d51.573445!4d-0.0724376!16zL20vMG45Nno!3m5!1s0x48760f258a8ee6cd:0xfb577ba373a3aa21!8m2!3d51.5045323!4d-0.2193254!16s%2Fg%2F11fd7j4xjg?entry=ttu

Now you just have to imagine this happening indoors. It's terrifying.

A shocking eleven deaths last year from e-bike or e-scooter battery fires.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/mar/09/unexploded-bombs-call-for-action-after-11-deaths-in-uk-due-to-e-bike-fires

Another variant on the same theme--this time, an electric pedicab explodes outside Buck House. Fortunately not indoors (but obviously pedicabs are rather less likely to be kept in flats or hallways).

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ebike-buckingham-palace-london-explodes-b1148589.html

Not a flat but sort of indoors, the one stored in the railway arches.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-bridge-southwark-fire-black-smoke-waterloo-union-street-arches-pedicab-b1019096.html

I'd forgotten about that one (can't remember where it was discussed at the time). Terrible fire.

Another explosion, this time on a platform at Sutton station:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ebike-fire-sutton-station-london-fire-brigade-b1149723.html

The article refers to New York’s third party certification. I guess it refers to this
(I assume you can access Spotify)
It’s an amazing story in itself.
The project’s website is here

Thanks, but I'm afraid I wouldn't touch that sort of web-site with a bargepole. :)

The project I've heard of; I think someone posted it before.

Spotify or popwheels?
https://www.popwheels.club/

This is another horrible read, utterly tragic.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/12/man-who-survived-ebike-fire-that-killed-his-family-fights-for-change-to-uk-law

I was just about to post that in here, reading about where his Daughter was found was really upsetting.

The independent safety certification mentioned, is that easy to obtain? Should that be a requirement for sale of an e-bike on this forum?

Another tragic story. I've worked a bit on consumer protection law in the past and there are already product safety rules and legislation in place for things like ebike batteries. People just keep choosing to risk buying cheap dodgy stuff off their mate who got it off the back of a lorry.

If people bought them from real shops and real brands that follow UK/EU product safety and quality rules, then this wouldn't be an issue. It's the same with buying any other product.

fuck me that is seriously tragic. poor guy

Reposting this to show how quickly it can all happen. If you see a bike smoking, run.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ebike-fire-sutton-station-london-fire-brigade-b1149723.html

The article quotes that last year 11 died in 179 fires from e-bikes and e-scooters. To put that into perspective, a quick Google suggests that around 100 people die in 100,000 car fires annually (though many of these fires are stolen cars that are deliberately set on fire). So let’s get this into perspective. But I do agree that buying dodgy batteries off Facebook isn’t a great idea.

'To put it into perspective' is to compare apples with oranges. We're talking about completely different scenarios here. Unsafe batteries are often taken into flats and houses so people are much closer to the source of the fire and, as we have seen, sometimes can't get out. There are far more cars than e-bikes. There's really no point in comparing the two.