E-bike battery ‘exploded like grenade’ and ripped by means of household house – as calls develop for regulation

A person has described the second a fireplace ripped by means of his house after the battery for his son’s e-bike “exploded like a grenade” in the course of the night time.

Andrew Beaton, 59, mentioned his household had been “lucky” to flee after the bike, purchased on-line for his son final Christmas, burst into flames whereas charging below the steps.

The blaze ripped by means of his Lancaster house at astonishing pace, momentarily trapping his spouse and daughter upstairs and gutting your complete property inside minutes.

“It took the fire brigade four or five minutes, that’s all, and the house had gone,” he informed Sky News.

“It was that intense. I’ve never seen fire move so quick.”

‘They had been going off like hand grenades’

Mr Beaton mentioned his household could be lifeless if his 21-year-old son hadn’t obtained up for a drink.

The e-bike, which was charging below the steps, caught hearth after he heard a number of “pop” sounds from the kitchen earlier than shouting as much as his dad.

“I jumped up out of bed, ran downstairs, opened the front door and threw the bike outside,” mentioned Mr Beaton.

“As I picked the bike up, all the batteries fell out. They were going off like hand grenades, exploding.”

His spouse and daughter solely managed to flee from the upstairs touchdown after he rushed forwards and backwards from the kitchen with buckets of water to quell the flames.

It left Mr Beaton with blisters over his head and physique.

The hearth, which occurred on 25 June, brought on £50,000 in harm.

Mr Beaton’s 11-year-old son and daughter have been off faculty as a result of psychological impression of the ordeal.

Call for crackdown on batteries

The incident was only one in a collection of latest incidents related to e-bike and e-scooter batteries, which have prompted warnings from hearth brigades.

Just days earlier than, a girl and two kids in Cambridge died in a flat hearth probably brought on by an e-bike on cost.

London Fire Brigade alone has attended 86 fires involving an e-bike this 12 months, and 18 involving an e-scooter.

The authorities is now dealing with calls to crack down on the kinds of batteries used to energy the automobiles.

A brand new report by charity Electrical Safety First has mentioned they need to be regulated like fireworks and heavy equipment, which require third-party approval earlier than occurring sale.

At the second, lithium-ion batteries utilized in e-bikes and e-scooters can go on sale with solely the producer’s declaration that they meet security requirements.

That is the case for a lot of electrical items, however exceptions exist for pyrotechnics, medical equipment, and heavy equipment.

Read extra:
Police urge retailers to not ‘exploit’ e-scooter patrons
E-scooters banned from London public transport over hearth fears

‘Risking lives’

Electrical Safety First chief government Lesley Rudd mentioned “reckless operators” within the house had been “risking lives” and “giving responsible manufacturers a bad name”.

“The huge amount of energy released over time when a battery bursts into flames is unlike other fires,” she warned.

“In a matter of minutes a room can be decimated.

“This distinctive sort of fireside requires particular measures to sort out the growing downside.”

These lithium batteries comprise rather more power than common ones – the charity estimates a totally charged e-bike battery releases an identical quantity of saved power as the quantity of explosive materials inside six hand grenades.

During a managed laboratory check, a lithium-ion battery hearth was proven to unfold quickly, re-ignite, and trigger 600C temperatures and sparks.

London Fire Brigade deputy commissioner Dom Ellis informed Sky News most e-bike and e-scooter fires they attended concerned batteries bought from on-line marketplaces.

He mentioned: “We are calling for more research and better regulation for such products, especially e-bike conversion kits from online auction/marketplaces, as well as providing more Information to our communities about safe buying, use and storage of e-bikes and e-scooters.”

Government vows ‘acceptable motion’

Electrical Safety First’s Battery Breakdown report additionally suggested methods to make e-bikes and e-scooters proof against battery harm, together with larger wheels which can be much less prone to potholes.

It referred to as for the banning of common chargers, and for on-line marketplaces to higher regulate the sale of probably harmful e-bikes and e-scooters on their platforms.

The authorities also needs to again a public security marketing campaign, it added.

Sky News understands the difficulty of fires linked to e-bikes and e-scooters is being labored on throughout authorities departments and a analysis mission has been commissioned to look at generally used batteries.

A authorities spokesperson mentioned: “The Office for Product and Safety and Standards is working closely with the fire brigade to ensure product safety issues are properly assessed and action is taken to protect consumers.

“If producers do not adjust to product security rules, acceptable enforcement motion can be taken equivalent to ordering the elimination of the product from the market.”