NYT article on ebike battery fires

[ChezCheese:)]

Lengthy article on ebike battery fires intm the New York Times. There may be a pay wall, but maybe you can read it as a freebie, if you haven't used up your free article quota this month:

How E-Bike Battery Fires Became a Deadly Crisis in New York City https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/21/...ery-fires-nyc.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

 

[Doggyman1202]

Thanks for posting this. There are too many tragic stories like the one highlighted in this article, and unfortunately the more reputable and responsible suppliers risk being painted by the same brush. I've heard and read the fear from consumers in casual comments both online and with non riding acquaintances. From the article:

Ash Lovell, the electric bicycle policy and campaign director for PeopleForBikes, the national trade association for bike manufacturers, which has called for more safety regulations, said the low-quality batteries do not reflect the overall e-bike industry. Most of their members also sell e-bikes in Europe and have already met robust safety regulations there, she said.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

People underestimate the value of properly engineered batteries until something tragic happens.
An E-bike battery led to a fire in a Toronto sub-way car and incidents like this should be taken seriously. I hope more OEMs and end users realize how important it is to select high-quality batteries for their Ebikes.

E-bike fire on TTC subway was 'rapid and intense,' Toronto Fire says. Here's how it erupted

A fire engulfed a subway train in Toronto Sunday afternoon and Toronto Fire says it is due to the failure of a lithium ion battery pack used in an electric bike.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[Chargeride]

Great, I've just got my free train pass and ebikes will be banned on them before the years out

 

[gromike]

I assume the battery wasn't being charged, and it wasn't in use, at the time when it burst into flame. So, for me, I wonder how and why did this thing light-off?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I assume the battery wasn't being charged, and it wasn't in use, at the time when it burst into flame. So, for me, I wonder how and why did this thing light-off?

You don't need to be charging to get these cells going!
Fast discharge, shoddy electronics in the BMS, and complex discharge in cold climates can trigger adverse reactions and this will snowball into thermal runaway if there are no safety measures in place within the pack.
We have taken apart several packs now, and I just wish people realized the gravity of the situation before purchasing bikes from very questionable sources or used DIY places.

 

[gromike]

Oh my!

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Yep. Fast discharge will create heat quickly and dissipate slowly. Especially on a humid train. Not much airflow on some trains.

After I ride, I always give my battery about an hour to cool off before I charge it. You don’t want to charge an already warm battery. Unless you are in freezing temps, then you’ll want a room temp battery before charging.