Fatal Residential Fire in Beijing: Five Dead in Electric Bike Battery Explosion

Two recent e-bike battery fires in China's capital, one of which turned out to be fatal, have drawn attention to the limited options for riders to safely charge their bikes in the world's largest market for these vehicles, as authorities tighten bans on doing so at home.

Five people were killed in a fire in a residential complex last week in Beijing after a lithium e-bike battery being charged by a resident inside his apartment exploded in the middle of the night, and flames quickly spread to other floors of the building. A few days later, a second incident occurred in the capital when an e-bike caught fire and later exploded while being ridden, although no one was injured.

These incidents are just the latest of thousands involving e-bikes and their batteries each year, even as stricter regulations on indoor charging to prevent building fires and few outdoor options leave riders in a bind, despite there being roughly 300 million e-bikes on China's roads.

The fire risk from e-bikes remains unabated, with a total of 6,462 fires caused by e-bikes reported across the country between January and July 20, of which 62.1% were linked to lithium batteries. These were mainly caused by overcharging, battery cell failure, or electrical short circuits, according to the Fire and Rescue Department under the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The two types of batteries currently used in e-bikes across China are the traditional lead-acid type and lithium-ion, whose fire risk has risen to prominence after a number of high-profile global incidents and product recalls involving mobile phones and electric cars.

After the fatal explosion and fire on September 20, Beijing's housing watchdog issued urgent rules forbidding riders from parking or charging e-bikes in residential apartment lobbies, corridors, fire exits, and stairwells, while requiring property management to closely monitor compliance by installing surveillance cameras.

Last month, the municipal government enacted guidelines encouraging compound managers to install public parking lots and charging stations for e-bikes. However, few compounds can offer such public spaces for riders, forcing them to charge their bikes in other often hazardous ways.

To address the fire hazard issue, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released guidelines for e-bike production in 2018, which emphasized fire safety. However, these guidelines are still insufficient, says Zhang Yingcong, a researcher at the Shenyang Fire Science and Technology Research Institute under the northeastern Chinese city's National Emergency Management Bureau.

Source:

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2023-09-27/fatal-e-bike-explosion-highlights-lack-of-safe-charging-options-101778835.html