It's been an unfortunate week for battery fires.
The New York City Fire Department issued a
warning on its Twitter account last week following four e-bike (or e-scooter) fires in the span of just two days, BRAIN
reported.
| Lithium-ion batteries are used in various devices. These batteries are commonly used in cell phones, laptops, tablets, electric cars, and scooters. Lithium-ion batteries store a large amount of energy and can pose a threat if not treated properly. If using a lithium battery, follow the manufacturer's instructions for charging and storage. Always use the manufacturer's cord and power adapter made specifically for the device. If the battery overheats, discontinue use immediately. See more at fdnysmart.org.—FDNY |
Visiting fdnysmart.org brings us to this
video.
To be clear, eMTBs were not responsible for any of the four fires. While they've all been officially classified as e-bike fires, the culpable vehicles appear to have been one
e-motorbike of sorts,
a scooter,
and another scooter, whereas
the largest one started on a shelf where several e-bike, scooter, and other micro-mobility batteries were stored.
Low-end e-bikes and other e-mobility vehicles have a much higher chance of exploding or catching fire than high-end batteries like the ones used in most eMTBs because they're more likely to have manufacturing defects.
Three of the fires took place in Manhattan, while the fourth happened in Brooklyn. The largest fire, which seems to have involved several batteries, claimed two buildings, injured seven people, and took more than 100 firefighters two hours to control, according to
nydailynews.com. The tenant reportedly built and repaired electric skateboards, bikes, and scooters.
The three other fires injured a total of five people, and each seems to have resulted from a battery that exploded. It's unclear whether those batteries were charging improperly, stored improperly, or otherwise misused.
This news comes on the heels of last week's
Florida bike shop fire, which was sparked by an e-bike left to charge unattended.
Find more information on lithium-ion battery safety in this
BRAIN article and this
e-bike battery charging guide.
Not saying it’s the future everyone wants, but that’s definitely the future IMO.
I will say that there are some incredible ebikes out there as well. It’s getting to the point where I can do everything on an ebike that I would do on a regular bike. Again, not suggesting that I think they should take over, but I am definitely speculating that they will become the mainstream.
@Three6ty Yeah, that makes sense.
You don’t have to like them but they are much closer to a regular mtb than a full blown dirt bike.
They may have slightly more impact on a trail in terms of more laps and harder braking but imonths of trail wear from and e-mtb is nothing compared to the damage inflicted by a single braap up a trail from a dirt bike.
Just this morning a diude blew up a trail that I just finished tuning up and ripped everything apart in one hit.
www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2022/04/19/e-bike-battery-fire-destroys-inside-south-florida-bike-shop#.YmcLT-jMJhE
Whats funny though, I recently went on an E-bike ride with some friends. I left the bike off the whole ride. I don't really like e-bikes. I much prefer regular bikes.
Edit: my friends weren't on e-bikes. only I was.
I wonder if they will have a little more lobbying influence vs bicycle manufacturers?
Totally agree. I've been building trails for 17 years in my local area and one or several dirt bike riders can and do wreck my work in 10 minutes. It takes me weeks to repair the damage.
E mtb have no more impact than unpowered mountain bikes on my trails.
Here's a video of an Alta EXR full electric moto by AJ Catanzaro. Freaking dead silent:
youtu.be/F2eIkGN1KiA?t=92
Do you know the difference between any of them?
Some dumbass used the "skiers vs snowboarders" argument yesterday with me and I said "You moron. Neither of those has a motor."
Whereever a Class 1, 2 or 3 goes...this Alta moto is eventually gonna go. You're not gonna need a shovel to fix anything soon.
Rode at Ride Kanuga last week, a privately owned pay to play bike park. I have no problems w/ e-bikes riding there (other than their inability to say "on your left" as they crash by.
A mom was zipping her e-bike up the hill & her kid was hauling butt beside her, but on a Staycyc electric moto. I doubt they asked permission from the staff. I doubt the staff cared. BUT...do you think she bothered asking? She just applied the "nobody will care cause my kid is cute" logic and went for it. Maybe the staff did draw a line. She didn't.
But that kid isn't gonna just decide to pedal as he gets older. A kid a few years older isn't gonna want to ride an bro-ped while little groms zip by him on e-motos..
I grew up in moto from day one. It all goes down the crapper from here. Saw a guy on a SurRon poaching illegally last week, which even surprised me, despite me knowing that's going to start happening.
At the end of the day it’s all about having fun. Who cares. The more people on bikes the better, and the more rich folks on bikes the more legal trails we’ll all see.
All the videos of Rons on fire I could find had heavily modified batteries and controllers.
And yes they are not cheap.
What’s crazy is that electric cars indisputably demonstrate that electric propulsion is more upfront cost than gas. Yet somehow people expect e-motorcycles to be cheaper than the mature gas versions? It’s nuts. But people are buying e-toys and handing them out to children like candy.
There are very few pieces of battery powered equipment I let reside in my home.
But trying to say that MS gives you access to fragile eco-systems & quiet places using a giant drill battery is just abuse of a physical limitation.
Using that form of self fulfilling thought, a quadriplegic should be able to get a self guided electric 4 wheeler and take it into Havasu Falls.
Having a physical limitation does not override the protections of ecology and natural habitat.
I ran into a guy illegally using an e-bike recently and he tried to use a typical age related injury as an excuse to break long standing laws. He could keep a bike upright and was about to descend a VERY technical trail.
It's gotten to the point of everyone wanting a pass for everything. If we have a malady, we want a placard, a battery and a spot in line ahead of others.
My grandfather would hobble into stores from 5 spaces further out in the lot, riddled with rheumatoid arthritis from suffering in Stalag 17 prison camp. He wanted someone truly & legitimately handicapped who couldn't make it in the store that extra 100 feet to have that Handicap parking spot.
I completely understand NEEDING accomodation for daily activity, but re-writing the rules of our protected forest lands accomplishes nothing except some imaginary utopian inclusivity quota.
Again..don't care if people want to ride e-bikes in ORV areas where motors are legal or private property & bike parks.
But please stop this B.S. where life on 2 wheels must be available to everyone everywhere knobby tires have ever touched down. It's Idiocracy.
But we all know the rest of the world piggybacks off even the hint of the word "Disability" to get themself a free pass to use new technology.
Fat guy - "My kidney condition is a disability"
Blown ACL Guy - "My achey knee is a disability"
Fragile ego Guy - "My mental stress is a disability"
Beer Gut Guy who gets ditched on group rides - "I can't keep up with the healthy people. I have a slow metabolism disability"
Weed Smoker Guy - "I got glaucoma disability"
If you can't keep a bicycle upright for extended periods of time in the forest, maybe take a shorter ride.
For me ive been riding mtb for 20 years now 16 of those were without MS. i only got the ebike 6 months ago so for several years i beat the hell out of my body trying to enjoy a sport that i love. and the ebike now allows me that possibility.
Your comments are idiocy, bigoted, privileged, smart ass bull....
I've been riding BMX and MTB since the 1980s.
I was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and after chemo and recovery I bought an e bike to be able to ride again on my favorite trails (which I built on public land and are used by many appreciative riders). Any mtb is welcome here including e mtb and I'm so so glad to be able to shred the trails in my own way as a cancer survivor at age 73.
Dear sir,
I notice you like insults. Let's cover them.
1. Idiocy. Definition - 73 year old jumping on the internet pretending his battery is better than a bigger battery stuffed inside the same frame as anything else with a battery that also has bicycle components attached to it
2. Bigoted: - Definition - A 73 yr old on the internet telling people on bicycles about his grossly underpowered quasi-motorcycle experiences being somehow acceptable to actual cyclists because he has street cred from digging for "insert impressive number of years here"
3. Smart Ass Bull - Definition - A 73 yr old insulting an actual cyclist by name calling when that cyclist points all the BS excuses that the 73 yr old uses to justify his actions, using one simple justification of "used by many appreciative riders", which is a term that could also be used to describe...a motorcycle, a motorcycle powered by a drill battery, a half-breed motorcycle/moped/broped, a vibrator, a sex doll, a shot of heroine, crack cocaine, a jet boat....
Cancer is very real. It is a health issue. It is not a free pass to do what you want to do with whatever tool you can. There are people born with horrible birth defects, people who've had MS their entire lives, friend who have had their legs and arms blown off and countless other things we would all wish were not a part of daily life.
But not a one gives you a free pass to disobey rules, justify your presence because of some new technology in places intended to peaceful or quiet or scenic.
Cyclists, e-bikers, motos...we're all the kings of narcissism. Pics of people on two wheels or scenic overlooks taking pics of their freaking BIKES!!???? What in the actual hell?
Nobody ever wanted to walk out in the forest to smell the earth, see the sky, hear the animals, listen to the rush of the stream and howl of the wind....with a freaking bike posed on the rocks of the waterfall or a drill battery roaring up past them over the sound of the birds.
If your trails allow motorcycles, ride your e-bike. If they don't, you're just being a dick to the quiet majority who don't want conflict. Because the vast majority of people aren't like me and ripping DH laps at the bike park. They're in nature trying to forget about the troubles of the world. Screw e-bikes.
They are mopeds. Ride it where motos ride. But you won't. Because you're ashamed.
Your reply reaks of fanaticism. You need to chill out. To compare emtb with moto is just silly. In my experience as a trail builder and rider emtb has no more impact than conventional mountain bikes. Moto riders on the other hand can wreck a trail in a matter of minutes. Yes, braaaap moto does not belong on mtb trails.
We mtb & emtb riders enjoy being out in bush enjoying nature as much as you say you do. Maybe your trails are way more crowded than ours and that explains your anxst.
Anyways we're having fun riding here. All the best to you and don't take it all too seriously. Cheers.
You tell me where I need to draw the line with e-bike access. Which level of bike in this list is your stopping point? And I'm being serious. And when you tell me which one is your stopping point, prove how you're going stop 'em.
Mountain bike
Specialized E-bike - Class 1
Trek E-bike - Class 2
Norco E-bike - Class 3
OneWheel - E-skateboard
SurRon E-bike (with pedal kit installed)
Staycyc 20" for the little kid following mommy up the trail
Oset e-moto trials bike for juniors
Cake E-Bike (or is it e-moto)
Bowhead 3 wheel E-bike/go-cart/3 wheeler
Ariel Rider Grizzly e-bike
Alta E-bike for Supercross
KTM SX-E 5
Segway X-160 E-dirt bike
Go ahead genius. Go down that list and you just go ahead and start picking out ones you put on the "Can ride my trails" and the others on a "Can't ride my trails".
When you do that, tell me what you can do to enforce it. Oh...I'll give you your answer.
NOTHING. You can't hear any of them or catch them or enforce...ANYTHING!
I'ts the Wild West now. Technology has shit the bed .
www.instagram.com/p/CdCTnlBuOcS
Ooh, ooh! Pick me, I got this...
As @rstwosix is from Aus, this is easy:
Yes, ofc.
Yes.
No, not pedal assist. Unless you are a wheelchair user and it is registered as a mobility aid.
No, not pedal assist and exceeds speeds.
No, but why?
No; no pedals
Oooh, thats a thinker, but probably no.
No, literally says moto in the name, also no pedals.
Ew, no. Didn't realise Picasso was on on the mood-board.
Yes, but only if the rider is a medically sanctioned wheelchair user.
No, has pedals, but is overpowered for existing UK, Au, and NZ laws. Also you'd look like a complete berk.
No. Again, no pedals and literally has supercross in the name.
No. E-moto
No. E-dirtbike (no pedals)
And finally:
Hahahaaa, no. Its like a dirt bike went lame below the swing arm and now drags itself along like a dog in one of those butt-trolleys.
Do I get a gold star or a cookie?
Old man goes past you on a SurRon. What happens?
It's simple. There is one black and white line for the majority of multi-use trails & places that are wild & scenic or national forests & that's a device that aids in propulsion.
I realize the UK long ago killed off/hunted out their native species of plants and animals and every forest has been replaced with tree farms (an exaggerated statement by me based on never once seeing a riding spot there that wasn't in a tree farm).
But here, we're actually attempting to preserve the natural experience, protect endangered species, limit damage to our heavily abused forests and genuinely make getting out in the woods a relaxing experience for hikers, dog walkers, runners, mountain bikers & equestrians.
Every trailhead is overrun with people of all walks of life here, prior to e-bike invention (which isn't an invention...it's just a moped that runs on electricity, not gas).
Long ago, our forest services had to enact No Motorized Vehicles rules in the vast majority of access areas because of the destruction we did with motos (and I was one of them as a kid/teen).
There is no way to police an electric driven motor vehicle or moped. Where one moped goes, any and everything else electric powered will follow.
Go for it Sammtb - I've tried to reason with him re the major difference between moto and emtb and how emtb riders including myself have no more impact than conventional mtb on the trails I build and maintain.
Good luck.
And you're 100% full of shit to say they don't any more impact. Math is a very simple principle. If you double something, it isn't equal or less unless that number is ZERO. If you triple impact, it's not equal to ZERO. If you quadruple something, that additional impact is not ZERO.
But good luck with your mythical argument that pretends your motor equals ZERO
Whatever.
Whatever.
The battery packs are primarily Panasonic cells, but who knows what kind of modifications were made to the charger/controllers.
The sooner we can get away from lithium ion battery packs the better off we'll be in our all-electric future.
E-Bike = Motor bike = pollution!
Mountain Bike = HUMAN Power baby ! = Less pollution
No need to learn all those time consuming bike skills, just start shredding straight out of the box…
Side note: When did the PB comment section get boosted? It went from 15-30 comments back to 2010 Crankworks level 100+ for the last week.
What’s crazy is that electric cars indisputably demonstrate that electric propulsion is more upfront cost than gas. Yet somehow people expect e-motorcycles to be cheaper than the mature gas versions? It’s nuts. But people are buying e-toys and handing them out to children like candy.
My meat powered legs may feel the burn ,from actual effort. But my bike and legs are not going to catch on fire .
so wanna bring it in the house, but the house hold insurance might prove a grey area in terms of fire
risk, so can I remove the battery redily easily and store it outside in some fire proof container away from the house ?
plus, should a thief nick the ebike in burgling the house, then they gotta do some pushing.
Mark Weirs House fire result of RC car batteries...
m.youtube.com/watch?v=3YVrvlg2JuM
Lmao, I was going there but wanted to make sure it wasn’t a repeat. Fire Marshall Burns is always the authority in times like these. LEMMMMMMMEEEEEEE SHOWYOU SUMMMTIN
Maybe it’s not the ehaters that are the problem…
Just sayin’