"ebike battery fire"

[WheezyRider]

Saw this today, anyone know any more detail about it, or is it just speculation?

Maisonette fire – Wood Green

Firefighters share their advice for charging devices safely

www.london-fire.gov.uk

 

[PC2017]

Prob legit - these things happen.

Actual fire - parallel charging i believe.

Watch Louis Rossman

 

[Nealh]

n

 

[Nealh]

No one can say how or why the fire started, without knowing the bike or battery used.
If diy then the reasons may be more clearer.

 

[vfr400]

Prob legit - these things happen.

Actual fire - parallel charging i believe.

Watch Louis Rossman

We've discussed that one before. Two batteries joined by loads of wires bouncing about in a bag is a recipe for disaster, never mind the build quality of the batteries themselves.

 

[davell]

Going slightly off topic. How likely is a battery fire particularly as the battery ages?
I've had several emails from Volt advising I replace my battery if it is over four years old, done 1000 charge cycles or gives less than 80% of its original capacity.
Quote: Keeping your battery beyond these parameters can be hazardous, as the cells within the battery deteriorate over time, regardless of usage, and can become unstable in certain conditions.
We strictly advise all customers to stop using their battery after its life expectancy is reached. If it is used after this point it is strongly advised to keep it and charge it, outside of the home.

Are they being over cautious? My battery is just over 4 years old but seems to be fine.

 

[vfr400]

Going slightly off topic. How likely is a battery fire particularly as the battery ages?
I've had several emails from Volt advising I replace my battery if it is over four years old, done 1000 charge cycles or gives less than 80% of its original capacity.
Quote: Keeping your battery beyond these parameters can be hazardous, as the cells within the battery deteriorate over time, regardless of usage, and can become unstable in certain conditions.
We strictly advise all customers to stop using their battery after its life expectancy is reached. If it is used after this point it is strongly advised to keep it and charge it, outside of the home.

Are they being over cautious? My battery is just over 4 years old but seems to be fine.

Ebike battery fires are very rare and virtually non-existent for OEM batteries, so you have nothing to worry about at all. There's probably more chance of your phone catching fire.

The reason they recommend a new battery is because the performance drops off after a lot of use, not because of any fire risk.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Lithium batteries do indeed catch fire, and in some circumstances will explode.

I have used LiPos for years in RC model aircraft and have had a couiple of the small 3S 1200mAhr batteries catch fire. One exploded in a significant fireball whilst charging, dont know exactly why.

My suspicion is that they can suffer internal damage with the various knocks and bumps that RC models do get.

 

[vfr400]

Lithium batteries do indeed catch fire, and in some circumstances will explode.

I have used LiPos for years in RC model aircraft and have had a couiple of the small 3S 1200mAhr batteries catch fire. One exploded in a significant fireball whilst charging, dont know exactly why.

My suspicion is that they can suffer internal damage with the various knocks and bumps that RC models do get.

Lipos are not OEM ebike batteries. Please don't scaremonger with irrelevant stuff.

 

[PC2017]

My battery is just over 4 years old but seems to be fine.

They sound like they just want to sell you a new imo.

Just out of curiosity - how does one initially deal with a li-ion fire when it comes to ebike batteries, before calling 999, how fast would it progress from early signs to full blown panic? I haven't googled it for a while, nor have I whilst I am pondering this question... The last video I saw was a £100,000 EV in a skip full of water, EDIT after the fire was extinguished, put there by the fire brigade I think it was either Canada or the US.

 

[vfr400]

They sound like they just want to sell you a new imo.

Just out of curiosity - how does one initially deal with a li-ion fire when it comes to ebike batteries, before calling 999, how fast would it progress from early signs to full blown panic? I haven't googled it for a while, nor have I whilst I am pondering this question... The last video I saw was a £100,000 EV in a skip full of water, EDIT after the fire was extinguished, put there by the fire brigade I think it was either Canada or the US.

Have you planned what you'e going to do if you see an asteroid streaking towards the Earth, or if the Covid virus mutates into a deadly highly infectious version? Those things are probably more likely than your ebike catching fire unless you have a home-made battery or battery jumping about in a bag or panier, in which case there's nothing you can do except push it into a space where it won't burn anything else. Maybe keep a 20 foot length 4mm cable with a hook on the end, so that you can tow the bike out of your garage or living room into the garden or onto the road.

 

[PC2017]

Those things are probably more likely than your ebike catching fire

Eloquently put. As for a more highly infectious Covid somewhere, sadly within a year.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Myself, I would not plan for being hit by an astroid, nor would I plan for a Jumbo jet landing on my head in my sleep, these are both very unlikly events.

As for the eBike batteries, I take the simple approach of not storing them or chargeing them in the house, thats all done in my shed at the bottom of the garden.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Lipos are not OEM ebike batteries. Please don't scaremonger with irrelevant stuff.

Well, you can buy OEM LiPos for eBikes, and there are the DIY jobs, so its relavent to mention the risks these batteries.

Lithium Ions do suffer from a similar problem, thermal runaway, which is also thought to be caused by physical damage.

Plenty information out there for people who want to Goggle search on 'ebike battery fire' or 'lithium ION battery fire'

Even where gazillions of dollars have been spent on developing and implementing Lithium Ion batteries, by Tesla and Boeing in particular, fires have still occured.

These events are rare, but thats no reason not to mention them.

 

[davell]

So which is better and a lower risk?
(1) Storing the battery and charging on the bike in the shed where i have seen it get up to 48oC in the summer.
(2) removing and charging in my home office which never goes above 25oC.
How will charging at 40+ oC affect battery life?

 

[sjpt]

Charging in extreme temperatures is a bad idea. Or even storing. eg

That includes temperatures ranges for charging between 41°F to 113°F (5°C to 45°C), typical use while riding ideally around 68°F (20°C), and storage between 41°F (5°C) and 68°F (20°C).

Best Temperatures for Electric Bike Battery storage, usage, and charging. And DANGER zones to avoid. | eBikesHQ.com

You can think of electric bike batteries as a “Goldilocks” type of device. It doesn’t like to get too hot, neither does it like to get too cold, it prefers temperature ranges that are “just right”. Find out what temperatures are ideal for charging, storage, and everyday use.

ebikeshq.com

(I was surprised to see 45° considered an acceptable charging temperature; but then I've never liked high temperature so I empathetically assumed batteries would be the same.)

 

[FatBob]

Not an ebike battery fire, but an example, I guess, of charging a battery for too long.
Terrifying moment hoverboard EXPLODES

 

[StuartsProjects]

Not an ebike battery fire, but an example, I guess, of charging a battery for too long.
Terrifying moment hoverboard EXPLODES

Lucky for them that the fire started during the day.