There are a lot of stories of batteries catching on fire, in electric cars, and electric bikes. In some cases people are killed.
Anyone with an electric bike, be aware, and be smart.
I don't plan to get an electric bike in the near future.
There should be lessons learnt, and a change in how batteries, and associated components are made, with many of the manufacturers.
I feel the battery fire on ebikes are just the latest media hype.
Most of these reports or incidents do not distinct one type of battery from another, let alone one type of electric vehicle from another.
Incidents of battery fire in NYC do not specify whether the wiring in the buildings (that could be 100 years old) , can not sustain the electrical load demands from modern appliances (dryer, microwave, heater, A/C unit, etc) and charging large batteries at the same time.
Similarly to incidents of gas station fires in the beginning of automobile era, people smoking at gas stations and the whole thing goes in flames.. still occurring to this day I'm sure, but don't get reported in the media.
Besides, annual casualties from auto accidents far exceed any ebike accident, bicycle accident or battery fire accident combined, you don't see that reported every week in the media, neither.
Lesson learned should be: always check the statistics in order to see the real perspective.
If only one person gets killed or injured by a battery fire, it is one too many.
If I buy an electric bike, and there is one chance in a million the battery may catch on fire, I don't want to buy the bike.
There will be changes.
Too many ships worth many millions of dollars, have been destroyed by battery fires. The companies involved will make changes.
Some car companies have lost hundreds of cars in ship fires. Car companies will not allow this to continue.
There have been people killed by bike fires.
There have been incidents where a lot of electric bikes are parked near each other. One catches fire, and it spreads to the others.
I think it is smart for someone who does not really need an electric bike, to wait until changes have been made, and batteries are safer.
There are hundreds if not thousands of people getting killed in auto accidents every single day.
There are thousands of people getting injured in auto accidents every single day.
Are cars still selling at record pace?
Are cars unsafe?
or are drivers unsafe?
I don't blame the vehicles (or batteries) nearly as muich as the operators; a vehicle only as safe as the person operating it.