E-bike: Incompatible battery charger ignites fire

Charity Electrical Safety First has revealed that 43% of e-bike and e-scooter owners surveyed in the UK use an after-market charger - one that's bought after getting their bike or scooter.

It builds on the charity's investigation last year which found that chargers with no fuse that failed to meet UK safety standards were being sold on online marketplaces.

An incompatible charger that pushes too much voltage into the battery could cause thermal runaway, an uncontrollable chemical reaction that causes fires that could destroy a room in minutes, the charity said.

The video shows the forced overcharge of an e-bike battery with an incompatible charger.

16 August 2023