First revealed on JoNova; Consists of video – “These bikes after they fail, they fail like a blowtorch,” mentioned Dan Flynn, the chief hearth marshal on the New York Hearth Division.
Fires from exploding e-bike batteries multiply in NYC — typically fatally
NEW YORK — 4 instances every week on common, an e-bike or e-scooter battery catches hearth in New York Metropolis.
Typically, it does so on the road, however extra usually, it occurs when the proprietor is recharging the lithium ion battery. A mismatched charger gained’t all the time flip off mechanically when the battery’s absolutely charged, and retains heating up. Or, the extremely flammable electrolyte contained in the battery’s cells leaks out of its casing and ignites, setting off a series response.
“These bikes after they fail, they fail like a blowtorch,” mentioned Dan Flynn, the chief hearth marshal on the New York Hearth Division. “We’ve seen incidents the place folks have described them as explosive — incidents the place they really have a lot energy, they’re truly blowing partitions down in between rooms and flats.”
A fireplace in Brooklyn in April was traced to a defective e-bike or e-scooter battery that ignited and gutted two homes.
Is there any “inexperienced” know-how which isn’t out to kill us?
The severity and frequency of those fires makes me marvel if I’ve underestimated the fireplace threat from E-automobiles. How lengthy it’s going to take for insurers to catch on?
Whilst you would count on higher manufacturing requirements for a 5-6 determine E-Car than an inexpensive e-bike, actually much less threat from “mismatched chargers”, however there have been some severe issues with the costlier e-vehicles.
Think about an analogous hearth in a big New York condo block, with a carpark stuffed with EVs.
Such a hearth might conceivably trigger the constructing to break down. E-vehicle fires are scorching sufficient to severely compromise metal and concrete structural helps, if there are sufficient flammable lithium batteries close by. The warmth and poisonous smoke would might make it troublesome to flee. I imply, take a look at the injury a single small e-scooter did to the condo within the video (see above). Think about the condo hearth above multiplied a thousand-fold, on the carpark ground of a high-rise condo constructing.
There’s one factor which worries me much more than the present inexperienced push for lethal e-vehicles. Rising consciousness of the dangers from Lithium batteries might set off a tough pivot in direction of hydrogen powered automobiles, which in my view may very well be even worse.
