You don't think these batteries from China have no standards and will explode burning your house down?

After nearly a decade of converting & riding ebikes, I have yet to witness a single battery fire issues myself.
I've heard of them in the news, interwebs, etc.. just not witness any.
In the early days they were lead acid batteries fires, nowadays with lithium battery fires; I suspect they are just poor wiring job or charging practices.
Personally, I feel that strapping a container of flammable fuel on to a vehicle and travel at 50-60 mph isn't much safer.
How many car fires occur daily? fuel tank explosions in the news?
I'm sure there are plenty of those occurring every single day, just don't get as much attention and don't reported all over the interwebs.
 
A said:
After nearly a decade of converting & riding ebikes, I have yet to witness a single battery fire issues myself.
I've heard of them in the news, interwebs, etc.. just not witness any.
In the early days they were lead acid batteries fires, nowadays with lithium battery fires; I suspect they are just poor wiring job or charging practices.
Personally, I feel that strapping a container of flammable fuel on to a vehicle and travel at 50-60 mph isn't much safer.
How many car fires occur daily? fuel tank explosions in the news?
I'm sure there are plenty of those occurring every single day, just don't get as much attention and don't reported all over the interwebs.
Click to expand...
The car industry has crash dummy tests, they go through rigor I think the fuel tanks are tested for explosion too. The batteries from China aren't tested or regulated. I'm just saying, I'm not being racists against Chinese people, in saying this for any cheap battery by a lesser known company that isn't like Samsung or Panasonic
 
I know somebody who had a lengthy hospitalization in a burn unit a few years back. He evidently was carrying a lithium battery (or cell?) in his front pocket when it spontaneously ignited, causing severe burns of his leg. I don’t know the circumstances which led up to that.

They definitely have the potential to go terribly wrong and have to be respected, at least to a reasonable extent, IMO. It might be overkill, but I’m still glad I’m storing mine in a fireproof bag during the off-season.

I think most of the risk can be mitigated by simply:

-Having minimum federal safety standards for commercial batteries (looking at you, China)
-Using proper charging procedures per the directions of your battery
-Treating your battery carefully and avoiding damage to it
-Inspecting your battery regularly for damage, even minor cracks, etc.
-Storing your battery in a safe place when not being used, and under proper environmental conditions.
 
Respect00 said:
The car industry has crash dummy tests, they go through rigor I think the fuel tanks are tested for explosion too. The batteries from China aren't tested or regulated. I'm just saying, I'm not being racists against Chinese people, in saying this for any cheap battery by a lesser known company that isn't liks
Samsung or Panasonic
Click to expand...

Regardless how much you test, doesn't change the fact that gasoline is flammable fuel that is meant to burn while the vehicle is in operation.

The sheer number of gasoline engine operating in the world allow us mankind to feel that they are safe and okay to be used.

If the same number of ebikes are operating (as gas vehicles) & ebike batteries are exploding at the same rate of gas tanks explosions around the world; would you feel any safer?
 
A said:
After nearly a decade of converting & riding ebikes, I have yet to witness a single battery fire issues myself.
I've heard of them in the news, interwebs, etc.. just not witness any.
In the early days they were lead acid batteries fires, nowadays with lithium battery fires; I suspect they are just poor wiring job or charging practices.
Personally, I feel that strapping a container of flammable fuel on to a vehicle and travel at 50-60 mph isn't much safer.
How many car fires occur daily? fuel tank explosions in the news?
I'm sure there are plenty of those occurring every single day, just don't get as much attention and don't reported all over the interwebs.
Click to expand...
In 2018, there were more than 212,000 vehicle fires in the United States, resulting in more than $1.9 billion in property damage. Automobile fires are responsible for 16% of the more than 1.3 million fires reported to the United States fire department each year.
 
briiian said:
In 2018, there were more than 212,000 vehicle fires in the United States, resulting in more than $1.9 billion in property damage. Automobile fires are responsible for 16% of the more than 1.3 million fires reported to the United States fire department each year.
Click to expand...

Can you provide a source for this info? TIA
 
OK....that settles it......I am getting rid of my truck....car....ebike....phone.....flashligh......smoke detectors......laptop and tools........who knew they were so dangerous......just gonna read a book.....except....not at night because I have one of those little clip on battery lights to read in bed......I am getting rid of that too!
 
That red dot is East Palestine, OH.
It's worth googling if you don't know why this is significant.
rivers.jpg
 
briiian said:
In 2018, there were more than 212,000 vehicle fires in the United States, resulting in more than $1.9 billion in property damage. Automobile fires are responsible for 16% of the more than 1.3 million fires reported to the United States fire department each year.
Click to expand...
How many of them were the result of an accident?
 
You know that more people were killed or injured in horse drawn transportation accidents back in the 19th century then in auto accidents today......I guess we've always had problems.
 
I do feel for the people in East Palestine, OH. Not only did they lose their homes, but who knows how long it will be before the area is even inhabitable.
 
I know a couple of people who are in the battery manufacture/repair business, and a few others in the general retail and repair segments of the ebike marketplace. Cheap battery construction resulting in safety hazards are real things. When you are talking to people who do volume, thats when you hear the horror stories and high failure rates. Buying anything from an overseas vendor with zero real-world accountability is a risk, so doing that with something explosive, easily fudged with no outward sign of corners cut is ... well, you see where I'm going here I'm sure.

For me, one thing I never, ever skimp on is the battery. I buy from USA sellers with clean reputations. Over the last few years I've mostly worked with vendors who build what I want to spec (it doesn't cost any more than buying a pack off the rack). As far as overseas operators, the only one I'd buy from is EM3EV, who has established a solid reputation (but they aren't cheap).

So I never get a bargain on a battery. If you are going to pay a terrible price for being cheap, a cheap no-name battery is likely where it will happen.
 
A said:
After nearly a decade of converting & riding ebikes, I have yet to witness a single battery fire issues myself.
I've heard of them in the news, interwebs, etc.. just not witness any.
In the early days they were lead acid batteries fires, nowadays with lithium battery fires; I suspect they are just poor wiring job or charging practices.
Personally, I feel that strapping a container of flammable fuel on to a vehicle and travel at 50-60 mph isn't much safer.
How many car fires occur daily? fuel tank explosions in the news?
I'm sure there are plenty of those occurring every single day, just don't get as much attention and don't reported all over the interwebs.
Click to expand...
It seems to be just another "tut tut the sky is falling" situation. It seems so many today are looking to be victims whenever they can.
 
Respect00 said:
The car industry has crash dummy tests, they go through rigor I think the fuel tanks are tested for explosion too. The batteries from China aren't tested or regulated. I'm just saying, I'm not being racists against Chinese people, in saying this for any cheap battery by a lesser known company that isn't like Samsung or Panasonic
Click to expand...
Its not the cells that are the issue, it's be people putting the battery packs together.
 
Here is something to consider, even with UL certification who would be monitoring production of the battery packages assembled overseas. I don't think there is guarantee the specs will be adhered too.

An example of this is DOT helmets. To get DOT certification all the MFG has to do is assure the DOT that their helmets meat the DOT's specs. After that, nobody I'm aware ever checks to see if these specs are being maintained. So it boils down knowing the people/company you are dealing with and don't go cheap.
 

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