Tag: e-bike fires

A List Of “Rare” E-Bike And E-Bike Battery Charging Fires – UPDATED

jimmymac

The e-bike industry and its trade organizations are often quoted as saying e-bike fires are “a rare occurrence” (if they comment on the issue at all). These organizations are more apt to use the sanitized phrase “a runaway thermal event” that is code for “the bike’s battery blew up into flames.” The list of e-bike factories, retailers and owners who have experienced meltdowns is indeed a small percentage of total e-bike factories, retailers and owners. That shouldn’t make you feel a lot better if you have an e-bike charging in…

Segway-Ninebot Shared E-Bikes Are UL 2849 Certified

jimmymac

I recently posted about the advantages of demanding to see the Underwriters Laboratory label before purchasing your next e-bike. There is encouraging news that Segway Commercial has opted to design and manufacture their Segway-Ninebot shared e-bike to meet UL 2849 certification.  That’s good news for riders and communities who depend on reliable shared e-bikes that meet established electrical and fire safety standards. Kudos to Segway.

Look For The UL Label: Why Your New E-Bike Needs UL Certification – UPDATED

jimmymac

I get downhearted and disgusted posting so many stories about e-bike battery fires. These events include fatalities and loss of personal property into the millions of dollars. Unfortunately, this burden seems to rest on my humble shoulders. I don’t know of anyone else shinning a light on one of the e-bike industry’s most guarded dirty secrets. Ranting about the fire potential lurking in every e-bike is frustrating because I don’t see a viable solution to the problem. I pass along tips for reducing the chances of an e-bike battery fire…

E-Bikes Add Speed To San Luis Obispo’s Emergency Response Squad

jimmymac

This is cool news out of the San Luis Obispo Fire Department. In an effort to improve rescue response times, the SLO fire department has added a secret weapon. E-bikes! “It is amazing how much faster our paramedics can reach patients on our city’s trails,” said Fire Engineer and Paramedic Ryan Mason, who led the department’s new e-bike program development. “What used to take 45 minutes to an hour to reach an injured hiker or mountain biker can now take us less than 10 minutes.” The City’s fire department partnered…

Battery Fires Create Concerns For Every Electric Bike Owner (UPDATED)

jimmymac

Bike Europe, a publication claimed to be the “leading trade journal for the bicycle, e-bike market” recently published a courageous story on the dangers of Lithium-Ion batteries used in the majority of electric bikes (e-bikes). The publication had a fire safety engineer and battery safety professional examine the aftermath of a fire ignited by an unattended charging battery in a bicycle shop (video footage of the shop fire has been removed). His observations are frightening. The expert is quoted as saying that Lithium-Ion batteries are, “rather unreliable, rather explosive. You…

Human Powered Solutions Offers Tips To Guard Against E-Bike Fire Disasters

jimmymac

After being labeled an alarmist and dismissed as an anti-e-bike zealot (for the record, I love riding quality e-bikes), I feel vindicated. It may have taken them over 3 years to echo my concerns, but a respected bicycle retailer consulting group known as Human Powered Solutions (HPS) recently published “Safe Lithium-Ion Battery Storage and Charging Procedures.” You should substitute “e-bike” for “Lithium-Ion” in their title to make the story more honest and understandable. The article builds on a story I published that remains one of the most-read articles to appear…

Specialized Bikes Warns Of Possible E-Bike Fire Hazard

jimmymac

If you own a 1st generation Specialized Levo (either the FRS or HT model) or Kenevo FSR, you’ll want to move it out of your garage, home or storage shed and away from any flammable material (including a forest). Then,  hit this link that explains what needs to be done to your bike to prevent what Specialized calls a “thermal runaway event” (I call it a fire). I have tracked numerous e-bike fires and recalls. Up until now, these recalls and fires were traced to home-built, DIY project e-bikes, e-bike conversion…

National Park Service Opens National Parks To Motorized Recreational Vehicles

jimmymac

The National Park Service (NPS) will issue new guidelines (you can read the pre-publication document here) that allow electric-motorized bicycles access to all trails and paths where human-powered bicycles are now allowed access. These new guidelines show that the Department of The Interior views its responsibility to maximize the use of public lands. While I strongly oppose the opening of these natural treasures to motorized recreational, I appear to be in the minority. Americans have given the Department of The Interior and the NPS a mandate to open these public…

E-Bike Battery Explosion Kills 60-Year-Old Rider

jimmymac

The United Kingdom’s Shropshire Star is reporting that 60-year-old Christabel Timmins suffered 55-percent burns and died of multiple organ failure after a charging e-bike battery exploded and caught fire to Timmins’ motorhome. The tragic story can be read by clicking here. I have posted a number of tips to reduce the risks when charging your e-bike’s battery.  After reading the specifics of this tragedy, I’ve add one more tip…Don’t charge an e-bike battery in a confined space like a motorhome, RV, boat, automobile, van or shed. Here are all my…

Modified E-Bike’s Fiery Explosion A Warning

jimmymac

An E-bike with a modified battery ignited into flames that were quickly contained because of the fire’s close proximity to an extinguisher. Reports were not clear if the bike was privately owned or used by a food-delivery service. The Straits Times reports that the fire took place in Singapore where, unlike in the United States, there are strict laws on e-bike modifications (that obviously didn’t deter this owner from making modifications) and there are a much larger number of E-bikes in operation than in the States. As E-bike use expands…