Why are battery fires in e-bikes and e-scooters a safety concern?

E-bikes, e-scooters, and hoverboards are commonly powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which present a risk of smoke, fire, toxic off-gassing, or explosion if damaged or malfunctioning. Electric bikes, scooters, and hoverboards are exposed to demanding conditions such as vibration, water exposure, or mechanical shock from a bump, drop, or fall during use. This can increase the risk of damage to the lithium-ion batteries powering these devices. Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are faster and more aggressive than other fires. Safer batteries are more expensive, and alternatives that are counterfeit or cut corners on safety are flooding the market. There is a lack of awareness among consumers about just how dangerous their e-mobility devices can be, which leads to unsafe behavior.

How do I know if my e-bike or e-scooter battery is unsafe?

Watch for several warning signs of an unsafe battery. These include swelling or bulging of the battery, noticeable overheating during charging, damage from crashes or collisions, strange smells, and any signs of fire or smoke. Electric bike, hoverboard, and scooter owners should always examine batteries for physical damage like punctures or dents, leaking, swelling, and other signs of thermal runaway, including an extremely hot-to-the-touch battery, unusual smells, smoking batteries, or hissing or popping sounds. If a device is parked outdoors and unattended, it may experience damage without the owner’s knowledge.

Where should I charge my e-bike or e-scooter?

You should not charge in locations that block fire exits, entryways, front doors, or hallways. According to research, 49% of riders charge at home block exit paths, which has been a contributing factor in several deaths. This is particularly dangerous because a battery fire can engulf a room in flames in less than 20 seconds. E-bike or e-scooter batteries can catch fire even when they are not charging if they have sustained damage that would cause them to enter thermal runaway. A thermal runaway incident can take place hours or even days after an e-bike has sustained damage or been exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures. If an e-bike has been in an accident or fall, owners should take extreme caution.

How long can I leave my device charging?

When charging your electric scooter, e-bike, or hoverboard device: Always follow manufacturer instructions when charging batteries Only use the charger supplied or recommended by the manufacturer — avoid counterfeit chargers Never charge your device near an exit, as it could block your escape in the event of a fire Do not overcharge batteries. In a recent survey by UL Standards & Engagement, more than half (55%) of e-bike owners admit to leaving devices plugged in after reaching full charge Never leave batteries unattended while charging or charge overnight while sleeping Do not charge batteries in extremely hot or cold temperatures Charge batteries before they completely lose power Never charge a device near heaters, direct sunlight, or other heat sources

How can I tell what e-bike or electric scooter battery I have?

Most batteries powering electric bikes, scooters, and hoverboards are lithium-ion batteries. You can often find the battery type listed on the battery case, in the instruction manual, or marked on your device by icons or symbols that note “Li-Ion” or “Li+.” Only buy batteries and chargers that have been evaluated to safety standards, such as UL 2849, UL 2849 or UL 2272, and that have been approved for use with your device by the manufacturer. This means that the battery has been designed and constructed according to rigorous safety requirements. Counterfeit and unapproved replacement batteries do not offer the same protections as those that conform to safety standards and pose a higher risk of thermal runaway. Follow all instructions and markings provided by the manufacturer to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury.

When should I replace my e-bike or scooter battery?

There are several warning signs that indicate the need for battery replacement. These include swelling or bulging (which prompted 28% of replacements), overheating issues (24% of replacements), damage from crashes (16% of replacements), or any signs of fire (11% of replacements).

How can I know if an e-bike or electric scooter device is safe?

Look for devices that comply with safety standards, including UL 2849 for e-bikes, UL 2272 for personal e-mobility devices, and UL 2271 for batteries used in light electric vehicles. When an e-bike, e-scooter, or hoverboard is certified to a UL standard, the product’s batteries, chargers, electrical systems, and more, have been designed and tested to withstand conditions that the device may encounter during normal use including high temperatures, water exposure, and vibration. Certain tests even account for accidental drops, falls, or overcharging issues.

电动交通设备

电动交通市场已大幅增长，减少了道路上的汽车数量，为 "打工经济 "中的工人提供了支持，并帮助城市实现可持续发展目标。保护电动自行车和电动摩托车市场意味着防范这些设备带来的火灾风险。

您面临的风险是什么？

每天，成千上万的人依靠电动自行车、滑板车、悬浮滑板或其他电动交通设备到达他们需要到达的地方。但是，这些设备在日常使用中遇到的高强度环境，或者不安全的存储或充电方式，都会增加损坏供电电池的风险。

损坏的电动自行车电池更有可能进入热失控状态，这是一种无法控制的自加热状态，可导致冒烟、起火或爆炸。了解有关风险的更多信息。

数字

将鼠标悬停在下面的每个统计数据上，了解适当的电动交通安全措施对预防潜在危害事件的影响。

54%

的电动自行车或电动摩托车车主购买电动自行车或电动摩托车是为了工作，其中 72% 的车主在过去 12 个月中使用电动自行车或电动摩托车送货。

纽约市有 65000 多名 "临时工 "依靠电动自行车和电动摩托车送货。虽然电动交通设备遍布许多不同社区，但有 45% 的骑行者居住在城市地区，而且更有可能是中低收入者。

93%

的美国人承认对电动交通设备的安全标准知之甚少，甚至一无所知。

教育对于解决电动交通风险至关重要，尤其是热失控造成的风险。通过帮助更多的人了解风险、符合安全标准的产品的重要性以及如何处理电动交通事故，社区可以提高这些设备的安全性。

44%

的美国人不知道电池过热会导致热失控的风险。

UL 2849、UL 2272 和 UL 2271 是我们针对电动自行车和电动滑板车制定的三项标准，旨在帮助防止热失控及其可能产生的破坏性火灾。

49%

的电动自行车车主在家中充电，并用电动自行车堵住家中的消防通道。

消防安全研究所（Fire Safety Research Institute）的研究表明，电动自行车起火后，不到 20 秒钟就会让整个房间陷入火海，这也说明了为什么电动车在充电时绝对不能堵住走廊或门等出口通道。

继续阅读，从和您一样的人身上了解预防的力量。

标准在行动

安全标准就像一本由专家编写的指导手册，用于指导产品、服务和系统的测试，使其对您更加安全。

UL 标准确保产品的设计和制造符合严格的安全要求，从而降低了电动自行车和电动滑板车电池起火的风险。

在 UL 标准被写入法律后，纽约市电动自行车火灾造成的死亡人数不断减少

自 2021 年以来，纽约市电动车火灾造成的伤亡人数一直呈上升趋势，但自立法者于 2023 年强制推行 UL 安全标准以来，电动车火灾造成的伤亡率终于开始放缓。这一急剧下降表明，标准、教育和公共安全计划可以产生真正的影响。

阅读故事

a woman standing on a bridge with a bicycle and a city in the background

电动交通安全资源

探索这些资源，让自己掌握更安全地旅行所需的知识。

Ready-to-Use Campus E‑Mobility Policy Template and Guide

Learn how your college or university can support safe, consistent e-bike and e-scooter use while mitigating fire and electrical hazards.

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NBDA 呼吁业界采用 UL 电动自行车和电池标准

全美自行车经销商协会与越来越多的人一起呼吁加强电动自行车安全，鼓励该行业采用...

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电动自行车骑行者错误地认为他们受到保护--参议院可以改变这种状况

电动汽车用户并不像他们想象的那样受到保护--看看参议院即将通过的立法如何防止电池灾难。

更多信息

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常见问题

教育有助于降低电动交通安全风险。继续阅读，查找有关电动交通安全的常见问题，了解如何降低风险。

最常见问题

为什么电动自行车和电动摩托车的电池起火会引发安全问题？

电动自行车、电动滑板车和悬浮滑板通常由可充电的锂离子电池供电，如果损坏或出现故障，会有冒烟、起火、产生有毒废气或爆炸的危险。

电动自行车、滑板车和悬浮滑板在使用过程中会暴露在苛刻的条件下，如振动、水浸或碰撞、跌落或坠落造成的机械冲击。这会增加这些设备的锂离子电池受损的风险。

锂离子电池引起的火灾比其他火灾更快、更猛烈。

更安全的电池价格更高，而假冒伪劣或偷工减料的替代品充斥市场。

消费者对电动交通设备的危险性缺乏认识，从而导致了不安全的行为。

如何判断电动自行车或电动摩托车电池是否不安全？

注意电池不安全的几个警告信号。这些迹象包括电池膨胀或鼓起、充电时明显过热、碰撞或撞击造成的损坏、奇怪的气味以及任何起火或冒烟的迹象。

电动自行车、悬浮滑板和滑板车车主应经常检查电池是否有物理损坏，如刺穿或凹陷、泄漏、肿胀，以及其他热失控迹象，包括电池触感极热、异常气味、电池冒烟、嘶嘶声或爆裂声。如果设备停放在室外无人看管，可能会在机主不知情的情况下发生损坏。

我应该在哪里给电动自行车或电动摩托车充电？

不应在堵塞消防通道、入口、前门或走廊的地方充电。据调查，有 49% 的骑行者在家中充电时堵塞了出口通道，这是导致多起死亡事故的一个因素。这一点尤其危险，因为电池起火会在 20 秒内将整个房间烧为灰烬。

如果电动自行车或电动摩托车电池受到损坏，导致其进入热失控状态，即使没有充电也可能起火。在电动自行车受到损坏或暴露在极热或极冷的温度下数小时甚至数天后，就可能发生热失控事件。如果电动自行车发生过事故或摔倒，车主应格外小心。

我可以让设备充电多长时间？

为电动滑板车、电动自行车或悬浮滑板设备充电时：

给电池充电时务必遵守制造商的说明
只能使用制造商提供或推荐的充电器 - 避免使用假冒充电器
切勿在出口附近给设备充电，因为一旦发生火灾，它可能会阻碍您逃生
不要给电池过度充电。在 UL Standards & Engagement 最近进行的一项调查中，超过一半（55%）的电动自行车车主承认，他们在电池充满电后仍将其插在车上。
切勿在无人看管的情况下为电池充电或在睡眠中通宵充电
请勿在极热或极冷的温度下为电池充电
在电池完全失去电力之前为其充电
切勿在加热器、阳光直射或其他热源附近为设备充电

如何辨别电动自行车或电动滑板车的电池？

大多数为电动自行车、滑板车和悬浮滑板供电的电池都是锂离子电池。您通常可以在电池盒上、说明书中找到电池类型，或者在设备上找到 "锂离子 "或 "Li+"的图标或符号。

只购买经过安全标准（如 UL 2849、UL 2849 或 UL 2272）评估的电池和充电器，并且制造商已批准将其用于您的设备。这意味着电池的设计和构造符合严格的安全要求。假冒和未经批准的替代电池无法提供与符合安全标准的电池相同的保护，并且会带来更高的热失控风险。请遵守制造商提供的所有说明和标记，以降低火灾、触电或受伤的风险。

何时更换电动自行车或踏板车电池？

有几个警告信号表明需要更换电池。其中包括膨胀或鼓起（导致 28% 的更换）、过热问题（24% 的更换）、碰撞损坏（16% 的更换）或任何起火迹象（11% 的更换）。

如何知道电动自行车或电动滑板车装置是否安全？

寻找符合安全标准的设备，包括电动自行车的 UL 2849、个人电动移动设备的 UL 2272 和轻型电动汽车电池的 UL 2271。当电动自行车、电动滑板车或悬浮滑板通过 UL 标准认证时，产品的电池、充电器、电气系统等都经过设计和测试，可以承受设备在正常使用过程中可能遇到的情况，包括高温、浸水和振动。某些测试甚至考虑到了意外跌落、摔伤或过度充电等问题。

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