E-Bike Batteries Keep Exploding. What’s the Solution?

[Jesper]

Zzzzzzz

[GirishH]

Interestingly, some of the EV cars keep catching on fire. I'm not sure if these are isolated incidents or if they indicate a wider issue.

One of my EMT instructors did say that fires in EVs are 10 times harder and hotter compared to regular car fires. I'm not sure if that relates to e-bikes as well. Personally, for me, the weight of the bike and the inability to bring the bike with me when I fly internationally makes me shy away from e-bikes..

(10-22-2023, 04:38 PM)Jesper Wrote:  Zzzzzzz

[ichitan]

(10-23-2023, 01:32 AM)GirishH Wrote:  Interestingly, some of the EV cars keep catching on fire. I'm not sure if these are isolated incidents or if they indicate a wider issue.

A few years ago, Samsung phones had batteries catching on fire. It was only a small percentage of Samsung phones that did catch on fire, but it was enough to be a problem, and it was an issue which needed to be addressed. The same is true with electric cars and bikes. Less people are buying electric cars now, and insurance companies have raised insurance premiums on electric cars. Electric car manufacturers are losing a lot of money.

(10-23-2023, 01:32 AM)GirishH Wrote:  One of my EMT instructors did say that fires in EVs are 10 times harder and hotter compared to regular car fires. I'm not sure if that relates to e-bikes as well.

Yes. If you charge your ebike battery in your house, and it catches on fire, you might be killed.

To me, it is not worth the risk. Wait until safer batteries come out.

(10-23-2023, 01:32 AM)GirishH Wrote:  Personally, for me, the weight of the bike and the inability to bring the bike with me when I fly internationally makes me shy away from e-bikes.

The distance I can pedal in a day, is further than the range of many ebikes. An ebike would reduce how far I could go.

[ichitan]

222 fires in NYC started by lithium ion batteries

14 deaths

121 injuries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvG1Z3XsPmc

[ichitan]

Here is an interesting video on what happens when lithium ion batteries are crushed. The same type of thing can happen when they fail in other ways.

https://forums.bikeride.com/thread-8651.html

[ichitan]

LUCKY ESCAPE - Tesla catches fire in family garage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpraaPWV6oc

[ichitan]

EV Battery Fires will become a HUGE problem

Battery manufacturers are developing safer batteries. Some electric cars are now being made with safer batteries. But the fire risk will remain until all of the cars with the older type of batteries are no longer used, or the batteries are replaced with safer batteries. This is likely to be over 10 years.

The same thing applies to bike batteries. There are still bikes being sold with batteries which could catch on fire. In the future, electric bikes will be made with safer batteries. But the fire risk will remain until all of the older bikes with older type batteries are no longer being used, or the batteries are replaced with safer batteries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aMm0w6NFNA

[ichitan]

Places now BANNING EVs due to FIRE RISKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vU6yUXTTN4

[enkei]

I have no way of knowing if there really is a big problem with e-bikes or whether it's just increased reporting and ownership.

I do, however, know that there's at least a theoretical risk of an e-bike catching fire while charging, whereas my regular bike cannot spontaneously ignite while hanging on the wall in my home.

I suspect that if there's a problem with electric bikes, scooters, hoverboards, etc., catching fire, it's likely among cheap Chinese garbage and crappy aftermarket chargers.

When similar fears/problems were encountered with mobile phones, that too tended to be caused by cheap aftermarket batteries. However, it appears that is not always the problem.

A lot of people say, "Yeah, but look how many ICE cars catch fire, too." From what I've seen, you normally get a LOT more warning that it's time to exit the vehicle if it's an ICE vehicle compared to an EV. What's more, with ICE vehicles, it normally takes a lot longer for the fire to reach the "furious" stage. Finally, it's a lot easier to put out an ICE vehicle fife than an EV fire.

Most modern cars have some magnesium alloy in them, typically in the beam that braces the bottoms of the A-pillars, behind the dashboard. We all "know" how 'deadly' magnesium is in a fire, right? And yet, even those can be doused relatively easily by firefighters compared to EV battery fires.

I simply avoid the problem by having no e-bike and no cheap Chinese electric garbage in my home.

[ichitan]

ELECTRIC Cement Truck CATCHES FIRE in Melbourne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liPm6OKPsB0