Call for safe e-bike subsidies after battery fire

The government should subsidise safe e-bikes to combat the risks posed from unregulated batteries, an industry figure has said.

The call comes after the death of a family in a Cambridge flat fire which was most likely caused by an electric bike that was charging.

Gemma Germeney, 31, died at the scene in the early hours of Friday, along with her children Lilly Peden, 8, and Oliver Peden, 4.

A man in his 30s also remains in hospital in a critical condition after a related incident.

Francesco Mazzella, the founder and chief executive of Talio, which manufactures and sells e-bikes in Britain and across Europe said: “Let’s be honest, if you’re in the gig economy and you want a bike to go to work, you’ll most likely buy a £1,000 bike on the internet.

“If I was 20 years old I’d most probably be the same, but it doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately people live in a situation where the cost of living has gone up.”

Industry experts are pushing for better import controls around batteries, with some bought online from countries with less stringent safety regulations.

One person who knows about the damage a faulty battery can cause is Dell Williams.

He bought a used e-scooter online and it burst into flames at his home within weeks.

Mr Williams, who was forced to move, says he feels lucky to be alive.

“It sounded like an explosion had just happened,” he recalled. “When I went towards the door, I saw orange flames.

“Life is priceless, I couldn’t have had it on my conscience if anyone else in the building lost their life due to my scooter exploding.”

Fire chiefs are also warning about the dangers associated with overheating batteries.

Mark Thomas of the National Fire Chiefs Council said when the batteries fail, they can cause fires of a higher intensity than normal, because of the large amount of energy the packs store.

“What tends to happen is that there will be a more intense release from that particular battery, so we see the fire almost ejected,” he said.

“People really need to be aware about this type of incident, given the fact that they can be so ferocious, and we’ve seen the devastation that this can cause and the tragedy that comes along with it.”

Some experts also have concerns that go beyond bikes and scooters. Paul Christensen is the founding director of Lithiumionsafety. He offers advice on all aspects of lithium-ion battery safety.

He told Sky News that “the penetration of lithium-ion batteries into all levels of society has far outstripped our knowledge of the risks and hazards”.

He added: “We’re seeing an increase [in incidents] because we’re seeing a lot more of these batteries in all sorts of devices. Not just bikes, but from radio-controlled aircraft, e-cigarettes and grid-scale battery storage systems.”

Mr Christensen also explained batteries can overheat for a range of reasons, including batteries being overcharged, overheated or crushed and also defects linked to issues like contamination during the manufacturing stage.

The rise in recent incidents has prompted The Bicycle Association to encourage people to buy e-bikes from reputable brands and retailers.

They also advise people to be especially wary of purchasing bikes and batteries from overseas sellers via online marketplaces.

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