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Recent tragedies, due to fires caused by electric vehicle batteries, have prompted calls for regulation and special measures to tackle the growing problem. In this post we consider the safety implications of electric vehicle batteries.
Fires due to the use of lithium batteries in electric vehicles are now the fastest growing fire risk in London. Throughout 2022 the London Fire Brigade were called out to a total of 116 e-bike and e-scooter fires but so far in 2023 they have already attended an average of one e-bike or e-scooter fire every two days, reflecting an escalating trend.
In June 2023 a Cambridge woman aged 31 and two children aged just eight and four tragically died in a fire linked to an e-bike that was being charged in their flat. A man was also hospitalised in the incident and an infant from an adjoining property was also taken to hospital for assessment.
Need for Third Party Battery Regulation
This horrendous tragedy has highlighted how manufacturers can simply self-declare that e-bike and e-scooter batteries meet safety standards. The burgeoning market for e-bikes and scooters has inevitably attracted unscrupulous sellers who take advantage of online marketplaces and the absence of rigorous controls and regulations.
Experts are calling for wide-ranging changes to address vehicle design failings and introduce compulsory standards as well as regulating online marketplaces where it is claimed sub-standard e-bikes and e-scooters are sold. The UK bicycle association is in full support of proposed regulation.
Online marketplaces have been identified by the fire services as the route through which many low quality and potentially dangerous products are sold to unwary consumers. This has led to many people buying low quality, poorly manufactured batteries and systems without fully understanding the risks involved.
E-Bike Batteries Need to be Safe and Reliable
Low-quality, untested, and uncertified e-bikes and e-scooters are clearly a growing risk. Many are calling for greater awareness of how to safely look after and charge the lithium-ion batteries used on these popular vehicles.
Many e-bike and scooter owners store and recharge their batteries in their homes, much like their mobile phones. Its therefore vitally important the batteries used in these products are entirely safe to handle, charge and use in any environment.
Most of today’s electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries due to their efficiency, compact size and reliability. Also, when compared with cheaper lead-acid batteries, they are cleaner to produce, have longer life cycles and are easier to dispose of.
But under the wrong conditions lithium-ion batteries are very dangerous and highly flammable. The elements used in the battery electrolyte are known as organic solvents which can act as fuel for a fire. The compact design of lithium ion batteries means that battery components are small and internal partitions are thin and fragile. And the location of batteries on e-scooters is often under the foot-plate which exposes the battery to damage.
Even a small amount of damage or misuse can be enough to start a fire. “Thermal runaway” occurs when the heat generated inside a battery exceeds what can be dispersed, potentially resulting in an explosion. As noted, lithium-ion batteries use flammable materials and a “thermal runaway” chain reaction can be triggered by a battery overheating, damage to the battery or an electrical short circuit. Battery manufacturing defects can cause spontaneous fires when a faulty battery is charged.
E-Bike Battery Safety Standard
There is a standard for e-bike battery safety, but it is voluntary and not mandatory. The UL 2849 standard (Underwriters Laboratory) covers the functional safety of an entire e-bike system, including the battery. But certifying e-bikes to this standard before launching them to the marketplace is expensive, which is why very few e-bike manufacturers comply.
In New York city, where around 65,000 e-bikes are in use, the council has recently recognised that e-bikes with lithium-ion batteries pose a significant fire risk. They have passed bills to conduct educational campaigns on the dangers of lithium-ion batteries and ban the sale of second use batteries. They also want to prevent all lithium-ion batteries from entering the country when they don’t meet national safety standards.
It is recognised that the absence of mandatory standards has resulted in a flood of poorly made batteries entering the U.S., increasing the risk of fires. The same flood of low-quality and potentially dangerous lithium-ion batteries is occurring in the UK where there are calls for the government to bring forward the proposed product safety review being led by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). Consumers sensibly want to ensure safeguards are in place to protect people from unknowingly purchasing dangerous, substandard products that put them and others at risk. The OPSS are prompted to consider the urgent need for mandatory UK standards and regulations to cover batteries and chargers as well as conversion kits and complete e-bikes and scooters.
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires are Becoming More Frequent
As highlighted by the London Fire Brigade, fires caused by lithium-ion battery based systems are becoming increasingly frequent. This form of battery technology is widely used in a variety of consumer tech products from laptop computers to cameras, smartphones and much more. While these batteries are generally very safe this is only the case while batteries remain in good condition with no defects or damage. Inevitably, as we increasingly embrace the use of these efficient batteries the more fire incidents we are likely to encounter.
And the batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters can be around 50 times larger (or more) than those used in smartphones. This means that when a fire does occur from one of these it is far more dangerous and the massive growth in the popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters means the likelihood of battery related fires is increasing worldwide.
Not Just E-Bikes and E-Scooters
As noted, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly ubiquitous. As well as being the power source used by e-bikes and e-scooters they are also used in electric cars.
A recent fire on a cargo ship in the North Sea, off the coast of the Netherlands, is thought to have been caused by an electric car. Sadly, one crew member on board the Panamanian registered Freemantle Highway vehicle carrier was killed in the incident. The ship was transporting around 3,000 vehicles from Bremen to Port Said in Egypt, including 25 electric vehicles.
In 2022 insurance provider Allianz examined five years of insurance claims showing how fire and explosion was the most costly form of loss. These incidents were also noted to be the top cause of total loss, in which nothing can be recovered from the ship.
In 2021 a ship called the Felicity Ace, carrying luxury vehicles, caught fire at sea. The crew were luckily able to safely abandon ship but the fire persisted for several days. Ultimately the vessel sank after efforts to tow it back to land were unsuccessful. Officials reported that lithium-ion batteries in some of the vehicles had ignited making it much more difficult to fight the fire.
Unlike other forms of cargo vessel, roll-on, roll-off vehicle carriers are not partitioned into compartments that enable fires to be contained and prevented from spreading. Ro-ro ships hold vehicles in close proximity in large, open deck spaces which allows fire to spread quickly. And when a single lithium-ion cell goes into “thermal runaway” its very difficult to bring a fire under control. A single Tesla electric car that caught fire in a California junk yard required 4,500 gallons of water to be extinguished. This is equivalent to the amount of water needed to put out a significant building fire.
What Consumers Can Do
Recent battery related fire incidents demonstrate how consumers are largely unaware of the risks they face. The charity “Electrical Safety First” has recognised the need for a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of e-bike and e-scooter safety, including guidance in how to charge them properly.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) have published some valuable guidance including the following recommendations.
- Do not charge batteries while sleeping.
- Always unplug the charger once it has finished charging.
- Plug the charger cable directly into a mains socket rather than an extension lead.
- Do not cover the battery with anything while charging.
- Make sure you use the battery recommended by the manufacturer.
- Always use the manufacturer-approved charger for the product.
- Ensure you have working smoke alarms on every floor of your home and in the room where you charge the e-bike or e-scooter.
Battery Certification
Another important recommendation for consumers when purchasing products that include lithium-ion batteries is to ensure the batteries are high quality and manufactured to the best possible standards.
Our Illuminated Under Vehicle Search Mirrors use a compact lithium-ion battery that’s been certified and tested to meet UN38.3 requirements which ensure the battery is safe for transportation by land, sea or air.
Read our previous post on electric bike insurance here: Do You Need Insurance for an Electric Bicycle.
For more information on Battery Fires Highlight Need for Standards and Regulation talk to Insight Security