“Ultimately it really depends on where these fires happen – there have been cases where I was brought in as an expert witness where people have died because it happened inside the house.” In comparing hoverboard batteries to e-scooter batteries, Abraham suggested the danger to human life was very real. In 2016, Abraham, a world-renowned expert in lithium-ion technology, penned a technical commentary for the Electrochemical Society on why two-wheel hoverboards were exploding and the role the lithium-ion batteries played in their combustion.
“ we have the UL 2272 safety standard, where the materials used in the battery have to be qualified before certification is awarded, but this is not mandatory.”
“Every day we are using billions of these batteries in our devices, our cell phones, our laptops, etc., but they don’t explode because they are manufactured to very high specifications and precision.” Abraham, Research Professor, Northeastern University Abraham, Research Professor, Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technologies. “The problem lies with manufacturing defects,” said K.M. London’s Fire Brigade has revealed that firefighters were called to 74 e-scooter and e-bike blazes in the capital last year, up from 28 in 2020 – a jump of 164 percent. It’s not just e-scooters which pose a risk – any devices that use lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to fires, with e-bikes, e-buses and mopeds, as well as laptops and mobile phones also at risk of spontaneous combustion. While privately owned e-scooters currently remain illegal to use in public spaces in the UK, they look set to be legalised later this year and are already widely available for purchase.Ī lack of regulation outside of the government-mandated e-scooter trials also means private models are not required to meet any minimum vehicle standards, creating a potentially dangerous environment for riders. The incident was one of several that led TfL to ban e-scooters and e-unicycles from its services in December after a review by the transit operator found that “defective lithium-ion batteries which ruptured without warning” were to blame. In November, a London Tube service had to be evacuated after a privately-owned e-scooter brought onboard by a passenger burst into flames and sent smoke billowing through the carriages. While in the grand scheme of things the number of incidents has been relatively small, the risks are very real.
The majority of issues have been related to privately owned e-scooters, with faulty lithium-ion batteries imported from China seen as the main culprits. Reports of spontaneous fires and explosions have gathered pace, prompting a slew of warnings from city authorities and fire services. The benefits of a compact, fast and fully electric mode of transport are clear – less congestion, pollution and time wasted navigating city streets.īut as e-scooters continue to proliferate globally, there are growing calls to address a concerning safety issue that has emerged. Christopher Carey looks at what’s behind the issue and what more can be done to increase safety. Reports of spontaneous e-scooter fires and explosions have recently gathered pace.
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