Are all devices with these batteries at risk of exploding?
The short answer is yes, but the risk varies greatly by device. Generally speaking, there are a few important factors that can make devices with lithium-ion batteries dangerous; either they are physically damaged, or the battery itself is poorly made or improperly charged.
If you've ever wondered why we don't see too many reports of smartphones or tablets catching fire, it's because these factors are downplayed. People tend to be cautious about handling these devices because of their glass screens, and the devices are usually well-made by reputable companies. Devices such as headphones, watches, laptops and portable game consoles are mostly in the same category and account for a small amount of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
Fire and Rescue NSW's Daniel O'Dea, team leader for alternative and renewable energy technologies, said small and inexpensive devices such as vaporizers often cause fires when they are thrown in the trash and compacted, but that scooters and electric bikes are some of the most. common culprits in the household.
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“Many of the good quality e-bikes and scooters can be very expensive. So people often go for a cheaper product that will have a poor quality battery or battery management system,” he said.
“Or alternatively, what people do is change the battery, so they take it out and can buy a non-genuine battery online. In some cases, they even try to build their own battery pack. And unfortunately we've seen that again and again with tragic results.”
The same applies to portable power banks; Quality models can be very expensive, but cheap ones have a higher risk of failure.
How can battery fires be prevented?
Fire agencies around the country have similar advice, including buying products from reputable vendors, ensuring you use compatible chargers (not just ones with plugs that fit), checking for damage, using detectors of smoke and charge large devices such as scooters and bicycles. from residential areas.
However, some agencies also list advice that seems unlikely to be followed by most consumers, such as using only chargers and cables that come with their devices and avoiding charging any devices while sleeping.
Electric car batteries can also catch fire if damaged or improperly charged.Credit: Fire and Rescue NSW
O'Dea said the advice was designed to point out risks that everyone should be aware of and be aware of to better minimize risk.
“With phones and tablets, if you buy good quality products and use good quality compatible chargers, it's not a big risk. Good quality products have good battery management systems. Even laptops, the number of incidents is very low,” he said.
Will fires only increase as battery-powered devices become more common?
Reports of fires and damaging electric vehicle tragedies caused by exploding e-scooters are already quite common, even though the devices are not as popular as they will likely be in the future. But Swinburne's Hussein Dia, professor of future urban mobility, said the failure rate was likely to fall. Battery designs will improve and people will become more educated about battery safety.
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People who drive combustion-engined cars would be rightly alarmed by engine noise or the smell of gasoline, he said, but electric car drivers may ignore dashboard battery warning lights or the sound of a large crack from a damaged battery.
“People will understand that, you know, I shouldn't have ignored that message, or I shouldn't have ignored that the battery was bulging,” he said.
“If I buy a charger or a battery bank, I will have to be satisfied that it meets safety standards. And I'll only unplug devices before I go to sleep if it's already at 80 percent or 90 percent.”
Dia also said that while motorbikes and e-bikes were a unique risk, their state of new technology meant their failure was more often covered in the media, making the risk appear higher. Similarly, electric vehicle fires were consistently reported, although gasoline vehicle fires were much more common.
“There are a large number of fires, even in homes, due to other electrical devices that do not attract as much attention. These are new devices and people want to understand if they are at risk,” he said.
“So it's good to have educational campaigns around, so people understand the nuances.”
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