Incidences of fire caused by the lithium batteries which power e-bikes and e-scooters are on the rise. As a result, Greater Manchester Housing Association has launched a campaign to encourage residents to charge their devices safely.
The rate of e-scooter and e-bike fires has increased over the last few years. This is a result of the growing popularity of electric bikes and scooters. In fact, the incidence of fire has rocketed by 150% in the last year. Firefighters in London called to 88 fires caused by lithium batteries and conversion kits.
Salford Housing Association’s campaign is encouraging residents to charge their lithium battery-powered devices more safely. For example, by never charging them overnight or overcharging them. It’s hoped that the campaign will cut the risk of e-bike fires, improve safety, and save lives.
Concern for Housing Associations
However, the risk of such a fire – and blazes caused by lithium batteries can be ferocious. Releasing toxic smoke – grows exponentially in a crowded tower-block, and the risk to life becomes that much greater too. The potential cost to housing associations is also a concern. Certain factors must be considered when assessing the approach to these devices. This includes rehoming hundreds of tenants, as well as the refurbishment of all the homes affected in the building.
Landlords cannot simply rely on public safety campaigns when it comes to such risky items. Rather, complete prevention of these fires must be the goal. Not only that, but we must find a large-scale and scalable solution to the growing risk that lithium batteries represent. Human detection, such as a waking watch service, is prohibitively expensive and all too fallible.
Chameleon Detect
Chameleon Detect is an AI system, fully autonomous and in detect mode 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system can be trained to detect any object, including dangerous gas and oxygen canisters, and e-bikes and e-scooters. When an object of interest is detected, the building manager is quickly alerted. They can ensure the object is taken out of the building before a tragic incident can occur.
There have been eight UK deaths since 2020, and usage of battery-powered travel increasing year-on-year. As a result, housing associations are coming under pressure to put tenant safety measures into place. Social housing tenants already face an elevated risk of e-scooter and e-bike fires caused by lithium batteries in the home. Combined with the cost of dealing with fires in high-rise buildings, it becomes clear that prevention is the way forward.
