As the use of e-bikes has grown in Canada, so has the number of fires caused by the lithium-ion batteries that power them.
In Toronto alone, 55 lithium-ion battery fires were reported in 2023, a 90 percent increase from 2022, Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said. he told reporters in January. In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received reports of at least 208 incidents of electric mobility fires or overheating resulting in at least 19 deaths involving e-scooters, e-bikes and hoverboards , according to a 2023. Public advice from Health Canada.
The warning describes how too much heat can build up in damaged, malfunctioning or misused lithium-ion batteries and result in “thermal runaway” – a process where intense heat, combined with the flammable contents of a lithium-ion battery, causes fires or explosions that are challenging to extinguish.
It also warns about the dangers of abusing or modifying lithium-ion batteries in e-mobility devices and reassures Canadians that the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries are being examined by Health Canada and Transport Canada.
At the moment, e-bike safety regulations in Canada are in a gray area; there are no clear rules on the import of safe and high-quality batteries. However, some local government agencies and private sector corporations are taking action to address fire safety issues. Some condominiums and apartment buildings have banned the storage of e-bikes and other battery-powered transportation devices and at least one transit authority has limited the types of e-bikes it will allow to charge in its facilities.
Despite growing safety concerns, the use of e-bikes continues to grow and is becoming one of the fastest growing forms of transportation in the world. The size of the Canadian e-bike market was estimated at US$733.4 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 12.6 percent from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.
In addition to providing exercise and being cheaper than a car, e-bikes are a form of transport that does not cause air pollution or affect carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming.
HA to study from Portland State University’s Transportation Research and Education Center found that emissions would drop by four percent if just five percent of commuters switched their mode of transportation to e-bikes, The Atlantic reports.
Navigating Canada’s e-bike safety regulations is a gray area. The lack of federal regulations surrounding the importation of safe, high-quality batteries adds to the challenge. #eBikeSafety
Anders Swanson, former director and current board member of Velo Canada Bikes, a national non-profit organization that promotes cycling, says that while they don’t have all the answers for how e-bikes should be regulated, electric mobility should be encouraged and the security aspect must be put into context.
“Every fire is obviously horrible, but at the same time, we know about car accidents and we still drive,” says Anders. No one wants anyone to be injured, but it is really important to look at this completely and seek the highest level of adoption of best practices that consider the risks and benefits of e-mobility, he adds.
Fear of fire has resulted in some complete e-bike bans. CBC News reported that Oberon Development Corporation, a Toronto property owner, banned all-electric personal transportation devices including e-bikes, e-scooters, e-unicycles, hoverboards, mopeds, Segways and skateboard scooters from two properties in Parkdale in September past A growing number of BC strata councils are following suit, according to a Sun from Vancouver. And earlier this month, Ontario’s Metrolinx brought in new security politics requiring all e-bike batteries to meet UL or CE standard requirements for driving and charging on GO Transit property.
William Leishman, owner of Scooteretti, a Canadian e-bike retailer, says blanket bans are unfair and insists lithium batteries are safe when they’re built correctly.
E-bikes are an amazing product, he said. “So many people get so much pleasure, it changes people’s lives.” Leishman says better product controls and enforcement can solve the fire problem.
Safety standards for e-bikes
E-bikes are regulated for wattage and speed by Transport Canada. But when it comes to battery safety, there is currently no rule governing import standards.
Restrictions on the types of batteries that come with e-bikes or standalone after-market batteries are still in place, said David Thibault, consumer product safety program officer at Health Canada. The safety agency relies on public safety advice on e-bikes to warn consumers against buying products that do not comply with UL or CE standards.
UL certification is a North American standard adopted in some areas. It is run by an American company, UL Solutions, which supports its ratings with third-party safety tests. The European standard is CE where manufacturers self-declare their products to be safe.
The quality, safety and security of the batteries have not been proven, says Kriti Yadav, director of strategy and operations at Zen Energy, an electric mobility battery producer and parent company of e-bikes Zen Energy Bikes, with headquarters in Halifax. The only customs checks at the border are on the battery, he said.
“You can import something into the country and walk away,” Leishman added.
Anyone with a safety concern about a battery or battery-powered product is urged to fill out a customer incident report, Thibault said. “We are still monitoring this. If we receive more reports about a certain type of battery that is not safe, we can take action on that,” he said. The public health advisory on e-bike safety will also be updated if new information emerges, he added.
Leishman says this is a national problem that needs to be regulated federally.
“Typically, Health Canada would be responsible for enforcement. Usually, we’re a little bit behind what’s happening in the United States. So once the CPSC enforces it, Canada typically follows suit,” says Leishman. . “We are not proactive enough,” he adds.
Unfortunately, most e-bikes sold in the country are not UL2849 certified, says Leishman. “Most of them come from China or from places where there are no standards, per se, or the importer decided not to pay the extra couple of dollars to have their product tested.”
Some e-bike buyers are aware of the safety issues and shop accordingly.
Gordon Nore, a retired elementary school teacher and e-bike enthusiast from Toronto, retired his car last year to save on transportation and find ways to get around that were healthier and more environmentally friendly. environment
After a summer of riding his old Trek mountain bike, Nore bit the bullet and bought his first e-bike in September of last year. In the midst of increasing e-bike fire safety incidents, Nore was adamant about buying a bike that was safe.
For Nore, this involved buying a bike from a dealer that was UL certified. “I read a lot about batteries and questioned the dealer who sold me the bike to make sure I understood everything I needed to use the battery correctly,” he said.
In response to Metrolinx’s new policy, Nore said the requirement for batteries to be at least UL certified is entirely prudent. “It is possible to buy batteries in the market that are not [certified] and I feel safer as a transit user knowing that the people bringing their bikes have batteries that have been properly tested,” he said.
While Nore understands the concerns of tenants and landlords, if an e-bike user can verify that they are using a properly certified battery, he does not see the problem of bringing it into the premises.
Unfortunately, not all consumers are as informed as Nore. But, “there is nothing that harms the consumer”, defends Leishman.
“Every time we go to buy something, we are under the assumption that whoever developed this product or whoever sells that product will never put the consumer’s life at risk, right? Unfortunately, people are very financially greedy and sellers take advantage of the consumer.”
