In late June 2022 the London Fire Brigade (LFB) were inclined to issue an e-bike safety warning after a serious fire that occurred in a block of flats in Shepherds Bush.
LFB fire investigators determined that the blaze was accidental and caused by the failure of an e-bike’s Lithiumion battery.
London’s firefighters have reportedly seen a huge spike in fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters as they have become more popular in recent years and have issued several warnings about how ferocious the fires can be.
Only a few weeks later Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service were compelled to issue a similar warning after a serious house fire resulted from an e-bike battery explosion.
Lithium-ion batteries, sometimes referred to as Li-ion cells, are widely used and can be found powering anything from electronic cigarettes, mobile phones and laptops to e-bikes, e-scooters, electric vehicles and aircraft. Lithium-ion cells are also being used to provide backup power to data centres, hospitals and any other facilities that may need a reliable back-up power source.
The popularity in the use of Lithium-ion batteries in an increasing array of equipment and applications is associated with multiple benefits which they maintain over more longstanding battery technologies. They last longer, recharge faster, are more efficient, and maintain a longer lifespan.
However, Lithium-ion batteries can be very volatile due to their high energy density and many combustible components utilised in their construction. If they are overcharged, damaged, or treated incorrectly they can explode and / or cause serious fires.
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