With electric bikes and scooters growing in popularity, experts says the biggest concern for fires is when lithium-ion batteries aren’t charged or used correctly.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —
THE QUESTION
Do e-scooters and e-bikes pose a fire risk?
THE SOURCES
- Jeremy Robshaw, St Johns County Fire Rescue Communications Chief
- Robby Dawson, Southeast Regional Director of the National Fire Protection Association
THE ANSWER
Yes, e-scooters and e-bikes can pose a fire danger if they are not charged and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions or if the battery is damaged.
WHAT WE FOUND
Jeremy Robshaw with St. Johns County Fire Rescue says the fire danger usually arises from lithium-ion batteries being charged outside of the manufacturer’s recommendations.
“The fire danger risk is generally associated with the charging process. So anytime we’re using these, our recommendation is always to make sure that you’re using them within the manufacturer’s recommendations for that specific device,” Robshaw said. “Anytime you go outside of those recommendations, that risk of fire …