E-Safety: A Small Price to Pay?

E-bikes and E-scooters are, of course, powered by lithium batteries. These transport devices can also be stored within or near homes. The lithium batteries are expensive and sometimes stolen from unattended machines. Replacement batteries can be purchased online. Currently, in the UK, these are not subject to independent safety certification. Faulty batteries have exploded, when being recharged (often overnight), causing fires. People can also be killed, by breathing in the resulting lithium gas. It's notable that, between 2021 and 2022, the number of fires caused by lithium batteries on e-bikes and e-scooters, more than doubled in London (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/12/man-who-survived-ebike-fire-that-killed-his-family-fights-for-change-to-uk-law). The charity Electrical Safety First is pushing for a UK law change. They want to make third party, independent certification of lithium battery safety, mandatory. This would, of course, increase prices. It would, however, reduce the probability of fire-related tragedies in homes. The problem is, perhaps, wider. Many home devices also have rechargeable lithium batteries. These include lawnmowers and many power tools. Even the tiny lithium batteries of vaping devices can cause fires. There was a recent report of a laundry drier exploding. The cause was a disposable vape being inadvertently left in the pocket of a pair of jeans.