An electric bike can be a game changer by taking the sweat out of riding a bike and reducing reliance on your car. However, while accidents are rare and shouldn't deter you from investing in an electric bike, the large lithium battery attached to its frame presents a potential fire hazard if not handled carefully.
Lithium batteries have many advantages that make them ideal for electric bikes. They can be charged and discharged hundreds of times, are relatively light and compact, and contain fewer toxic heavy metals than many other types of batteries. Unfortunately, they can also be highly flammable.
Why do electric bikes catch fire?
Lithium batteries like those used in electric bikes contain two electrodes, with a liquid electrolyte between them. When the battery is charged or discharged, the charged ions move from one electrode to the other.
Many electric bike fires have resulted from those made with poor quality components.
Fire Protection Research FoundationElectrolytic fluid is highly combustible, which is not normally a problem, but if the battery is damaged or overheats, the fluid can ignite. Once a battery cell overheats, adjacent cells follow (a process called thermal runaway) and the heat and pressure quickly become too much to contain, resulting in an explosion.
To find out why this is happening, TechRadar spoke to the Fire Protection Research Foundation (a research affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association).
The foundation's research project manager explained that lithium battery fires occur for a number of reasons, including: manufacturing defects; design flaws; improper use (for example, placing a battery near a heat source or leaving it in direct sunlight for an extended period of time, which may cause the battery to overheat); insert a battery in a way that causes a short circuit; and the use of chargers not intended for the device.
These aren't problems unique to electric bikes: any device that contains a lithium battery has the potential to catch fire, as we've seen with phones, laptops, and electric cars.
Hoverboards are perhaps the most infamous example. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of more than 250 incidents involving fires or overheating since 2015, when hoverboards first became popular. Major airlines have banned hoverboards from commercial flights, and stores including Amazon, Overstock and Toys R Us have suspended sales.
Hoverboards were particularly sensitive because they were so new that there were no design standards that stipulated the use of safety measures such as holes to vent excess pressure or separators that act like a fuse and shut down the cell above a certain temperature. They also have not undergone rigorous testing before being sold to the public, unlike other devices that contain lithium batteries.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission quickly implemented a safety standard for hoverboards, and while they weren't yet allowed on planes, hoverboards quickly made their way back onto store shelves.
Electric bikes have been around much longer and their standards are better established, but the Fire Protection Research Foundation explains that bikes involved in fires are often poorly built:
“According to anecdotal reports from some fire departments, such as the FDNY, many e-bike fires are due to poor quality components (for example, batteries manufactured with inadequate quality control or products that have not been certified by a testing laboratory). Independent). ”
How to prevent electric bike fires
In addition to buying an electric bike from a reputable manufacturer that meets the proper safety standards, you should also take steps to care for your electric bike and prevent fires.
To find out what you should do, we spoke to Richard Thorpe, founder and CEO of Gocycle, the company behind our current top-rated electric bike, the Gocycle G4. He gave the following advice:
- Read the owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's precautions.
- Use only the charger provided by the brand that matches the battery
- Do not use power cords; just connect the charger directly to the mains
- Make sure you have a smoke detector in the area where you are charging your electric bike and that you can hear it; For example, if you're charging your electric bike in a garage or garden shed, make sure you have a smoke detector. installed there and you can listen to it from home
- If your battery or electric bike has been involved in a flood, consider it permanently damaged and do not charge it. recycle responsibly
Thorpe also suggests you consider recycling your electric bike battery after five years, regardless of usage. "Electric bike technology is evolving and getting better every year," he said.
"Gocycle offers a Responsible Battery Recycling Voucher that can be used to purchase a new replacement lithium battery for owners who can show that they have recycled their old lithium battery."
if you charge your electric bike in a garage or shed, make sure there is a smoke detector installed there and you can hear it from home
Richard Thorpe, CEO, GocycleFinally, it warns against keeping old lithium-ion batteries in your home, whether they are electric bike batteries or not. Instead, recycle them responsibly.
The National Fire Protection Association has its own safety tip sheet for lithium-ion battery safety, which provides information on the safe use of lithium-ion battery-powered products, as well as advice on what to do in case of a lithium accident. -ion fire. He also offered the following specific advice for e-bike owners:
- Do not use spare batteries
- Always use the manufacturer's power cord and adapter specifically designed for the device.
- Do not leave electric bikes unattended while charging.
- Don't let electric bikes charge overnight
- Store batteries and devices at room temperature. Extremely high or low temperatures can damage the battery. It is also not recommended to place them in direct sunlight.
- Do not leave an electric bike (or similar device) in a child's room
- Do not block the entrance and exit of your main building with an electric bike (or similar device)
What to do in case of fire
Pay attention to your electric bike battery and you may be able to spot the signs of danger before a fire breaks out. If there is a strange odor, change in shape, leak, strange noise, or overheating sensation, NFPA recommends moving it away from anything that could catch fire, if possible, and calling the fire department.
If a fire breaks out, don't try to fix it yourself; Lithium battery fires are especially dangerous because the battery case can explode at high temperatures, putting you at risk of flying debris. Instead, evacuate the area immediately and call emergency services.
The risk of fire is low if you're careful to follow the safety guidelines above, and that certainly shouldn't deter you from buying an electric bike, but if it does happen, it's a job for professionals.