Why would an e-bike battery catch fire after just being parked?
Posted by Ok-Duck-9921@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 16 comments
I came across a case where an e-bike battery caught fire just minutes after being parked.
It wasn’t charging, and there was no obvious external damage.
I always thought these things were pretty random, but after looking into it a bit, it seems like there are usually a few underlying causes — things like internal damage from a previous impact, BMS (protection system) failure, or overall build quality issues.
What’s interesting is that these don’t always fail immediately. Some seem to be delayed failures.
Has anyone here seen something similar or know what might actually trigger this?
Yuck_Few@reddit
Why is he hiding his face like a weirdo? Cringe
Dook23@reddit
He probably has a YouTube channel or other media in which he rides on emotos during ride outs and riding like a maniac and doesn’t want his face shown. 😂
Yuck_Few@reddit
I find it weird and off-putting.
Hungry_Freaks_Daddy@reddit
If I drop something with cell batteries I have to replace the battery?
You wanna give me about….fuck idk like literally $200,000 for power tool batteries considering how often those things get tossed around?
dizzymiggy@reddit
There were a lot of 18650 cells that were poorly manufactured and had the anode way too close to the cathode. There are groups doing cat scans on cells of various manufacturers showing huge problems with some of the cheaper manufacturers. You could have a BMS from NASA and protect the battery in a padded box underground, but once the temperature goes down and that gap closes, or vibration moves the two together, it will go up like a roman candle. Notice the snow on the ground in the video.
CT Scans of Lithium-Ion Batteries Reveal Dangerous Defects in 8% of Low Cost Cells - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcMLodVi1h8
rvralph803@reddit
Lithium also grows dendrites over time that cause internal shorts if stored at high SOC, or charged in sub optimal conditions.
Vicorinox@reddit
I charge battery to full only before ride, store them at about 50-60% charge. Is it good for battery?
rvralph803@reddit
Yeah that's fine. The conditions I mean are very low or very high temp, high charging rate, high voltage
qx87@reddit
Chinacracker.
I had this happen in my workshop. Bike just stood there and at some point the lithium decided to have a little party. No one hurt, a big show and lots of cleaning.
I will never accept a retroffitted ebike in my shop again.
Superb_Raccoon@reddit
https://www.theverge.com/news/784966/lumafield-x-ray-ct-scan-lithium-ion-battery-risks-manufacturing-defect
burieddeepbetween@reddit
Replacing a $500+ battery just because it was dropped just ain't feasible - no one's that simultaneously rich and cautious. But indeed it could be manufacturing flaws in the cells or the pack, or water ingress. Making sure you have an IPX6 or higher pack is critical.
Upstairs_Pizza278@reddit
I work with batteries. I have 1 52v battery at 20ah made using samsung cells. (Batteries are made using smaller batteries called cells). I have another made using samsung cells. And my very first one, a Chinese one recommended to me by a bike mechanic. That was the cheapest of all three. Yet somehow the best built. The cells were good quality and it was well put together. But that was also the case for both other batteries. Ive dropped 2 of them multiple times, once yesterday. Never had a problem. I ride in the inner city, take trains, go through parks and do jumps. Never had an issue with these batteries. But the cheapest of all three was the Chinese one at $300. I say check reviews of people who stress tested the batteries and if they done internal resistance tests, even better. Being battery paranoid is a rich people game that I cant afford to participate in right now
Veganarchy-Zetetic@reddit
I have a cheap Chinese battey made with unbranded cells still going strong after 10 years! I am told this is pretty rare so I guess I got lucky. Wonder how much longer it will last...
Salmonman4@reddit
Once during a long-distance ride with multiple spare-batteries in my saddlebag, I didn't secure one enough and it slipped while I was riding at high speed. It bounced many times before stopping. Later I noticed that it lost about 10km range at full assist.
carlitobrigantehf@reddit
You always thought batteries just randomly combusted for no reason?
slacknsurf420@reddit
battery maintenance
could be internal damage from rain and moisture, do people really store their bikes outdoors? would you expect a blue ray player to work in a monsoon? does hair dryer go in the sink?
then there's cycles. it could have been left for dead or hot off a charge there's not telling. keep your battery charged for a minimal period. don't leave it fully charged or depleted. don't ride at max speed non stop the entire ride. your controllers ultimately take abuse at full load so use with caution.