E-bikes and e-scooters fire warning after record number of blazes and eight deaths
Firefighters warned the “amazing danger ğı created by some more popular vehicles, while e-bike and E-SCOOTER fires broke a record record last year.
According to the Product Safety and Standards Office (OPSS), firefighters were called to 211 events containing devices last year.
The figures are volunteer for fire officials to declare and demonstrate a missing picture throughout the country, but in 207 and 2020, only 26 reports increased in calls.
Last year, fires resulted in 86 losses and eight deaths, and almost all of them were linked to batteries or generators and caused concerns about DIY-type e-bike transformations using online purchased kits.
In August, eight-year-old Luke Abiston O’donnell died of carbon monoxide poisoning after a flacing e-bicycle charges in the front room of his house in Merseyside. An investigation was fired by the fire of the fire of the bike’s lithium ion battery.
Just before Christmas, the house of a family in Catford, southeast of London, was destroyed by a fire caused by a battery on an exploding second-hand e-bike.
As reported a year ago IndependentOne woman and two children were killed in a fire initiated by a lithium lithium lithium lithium lithium lithium e-bike battery purchased on Ebay.
The London Fire Brigade Spokesman, which formed most of the events shared by OPSS last year, said: “E-bikes and E-SCOOTERS are a green and sustainable way to travel around our city.
“However, the sharp truth is that some of these vehicles prove that they are incredibly dangerous, and especially if they are replaced, installed or converted with second -hand products, or if the batteries are used with incorrect charger, they are at risk of malfunction.”
To convert bikes into e-bikes, kits, battery and charger can be purchased online with less than £ 150 obtained separately.
However, there are concerns about the safety of online batteries and charger.
Earlier this year,Independent He found an UPP (unit package power) branded e-bike battery subject to the state’s withdrawal notification on the risk of withdrawal, and was sold in the Facebook market.
In addition, Liberal Democratic Deputy Clive Jones has recently been based on the government to deal with this issue to deal with the product regulation and involvement in the metrology bill, which aims to tighten product safety in online markets.
Experts say high street retailers have a greater responsibility for selling online market platforms for product safety.
London Fire Department Assistant Commissioner Richard Field Independent: “Currently, the products sold through online markets or auction sites compared to high street shops, and for e-SCOOTERS, there is no regulation of products at the same level, so we cannot be sure that the products meet the right security standard.
“Product editing and metrology invoice, ultimately lithium batteries, charger and UK safety standards, reducing the chance to be exposed to insecure products, it is a really pleasant step in reducing the concern risk of e-bicycle and e-SCOOTER fires.
However, philanthropy electricity safety, first online safety of the safety of the third -party certificate, including a compulsory requirement, including more legislation is required, he said. He also wants to set new safety standards for devices.
A spokesman said: “The increasing number of fires in connection with e-bicycle and e-SCOOTER batteries that occur throughout the country and their destructive results-is a definite reminder of the need for new laws to cope with these flames.
“It is usually caused by transformed or intensively modified e-bikes or subcutaneous batteries.
An Amazon spokesman said that security is the most important priority and that he has established a partnership with the London Fire Department to provide clues to customers about how to use e-bikes and e-SCOOTS safely and storage.
Uz We want all the products offered in our store to comply with valid laws and regulations. We follow the product safety concerns and we are going further by asking the sellers of e-mobility products to provide documented tests performed by an accredited laboratory ”.
In response to the increase in lithium -ion battery fires, the spokesman of the Ministry of Business and Trade said that a campaign called Be Bee was launched.
They said: “We take the risk of fire caused by lithium ion batteries, including those linked to e-bikes and e-SCOOTERS.
“We also update our product safety laws to help protect public security, and we also take action at ports and borders to stop the access of insecure or non -compatible products to consumers.”
