The UK government has released an independent report on the safety of lithium-ion batteries.
Commissioned by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) conducted research into the safety of e-bike and e-scooter lithium-ion batteries, chargers, and e-bike conversion kits to support the government in improving the safety of these products.
The 361-page report comes alongside a regulatory update from the OPSS on how it plans to use this evidence and its immediate next steps.
“As part of our investigation, we’ve tested high quality batteries from e-bikes and e-scooters that withstand extreme abuse without going into thermal runaway,” WMG Principal Engineer Mark Urbanowski told Zag Daily. “However, we have also tested batteries, readily available to buy online, with poor design or manufacturing quality that fail to mitigate against improper use like using the wrong charger.”
This laboratory testing and these technical product inspections are compiled in the research alongside evidence from the UK and overseas that’s been informed by stakeholders across the supply chain.
The report gives insight into how battery failures occur during real-world use and environments and includes scenarios of misuse. It analyses which processes and materials used in the product manufacture result in safer design and safer use of lithium-ion batteries. And it identifies technical improvements to existing international standards and battery designs.
In presenting its findings, the report spotlights high-quality battery products from different manufacturers and retailers which resisted all attempts to induce fire. It also flagged unsafe products in the industry such as the supply of unsafe batteries via online marketplaces.
For Mark, a key takeaway from the report is that: “It is possible to make safe micromobility batteries.
“Safety should not need to be a factor in consumer purchase decisions. It should be a given, ensured by standards, manufacturer design and quality, and legislation and enforcement.”
The publication of the report comes amidst a rise in micromobility-related fires in the UK and overseas. In London, a lithium battery fire took place on average once every two days in 2023.
Last autumn, battery safety and the three main causes of thermal runaway were discussed at the Micromobility UK expo hosted by WMG.
Two partial solutions were proposed: stopping the fires and supporting the reputable e-bike industry to prevent unsafe products from tarnishing the reputation of high-quality products.
This is the aim of the ‘E-bike Positive Campaign’ launched in August 2024 which was created to boost safety knowledge and combat misinformation about micromobility batteries.
