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National regulator issues e-bike and e-scooter safety warning

5 comments

1 month 2 weeks ago

Apparently step 3 states "Check and only USE the manufacturer’s recommended battery or charger" Surely the "or" should be replaced with AND, plus that is the word that should be emphasized with capitals rahter than "USE". It seems that problems are most often caused by using incompatible batteries and chargers, and this is commonly because someone is using the cheapest option rather than the appopriate option.

1 month 2 weeks ago

Whilst there is no distinct legislation for ebike batteries sellers (inlcuding Amazon and Ebay) already have a legal duty not to sell batteries that are deemed a consumer risk, so there doesnt need to be.

What seems lacking (as per usual) is some heavyweight enforcement action - probably because of lack of funding againsts the deep pockets of US tech giants.

1 month 2 weeks ago

@Sriracha.  I find it hard to believe that stolen bikes and aftermarket chargers are the main cause.  More likely the combo of aftermarket battery + aftermarket charger.

A reputable OEM battery shouldn't be able to be charged so hard it catches fire, regardless of what the charger tries to supply.

1 month 2 weeks ago

Per usual - various parts of the public sector all pointing to issues vs. Joining up and taking an integrated approach to actually doing something about it.

1 month 3 weeks ago

Do they bother to check the provenance of the ebikes/scooters causing fires? How many are stolen and therefore being charged with an AliExpress universal charger?

As usual, the regulatory burden will fall on those who were never at issue, whilst the problem itself goes unresolved. But at least "something has been done", and it's a whole lot easier to target the law abiding than to police the streets, tackle cycle theft, and provide secure cycle parking.