Safe storage of e-bike batteries: why your business needs to address this now

More and more businesses are using e-bikes. Holiday parks, hotels, schools, bike shops and delivery services store and charge large numbers of e-bike batteries every day. That may seem convenient and safe, but that is not always the case.

During charging, a lithium-ion battery can catch fire. An e-bike battery fire develops extremely quickly. Toxic smoke is released and the battery may even explode. In many cases, there are only seconds to respond.

How safely are e-bike batteries charged and stored at your site?

From the outside, a battery looks solid, but on the inside it is vulnerable. A fall, a hard impact or incorrect use can cause damage without any visible signs. This applies not only to rental e-bikes, but also to fatbike batteries, which are increasingly used by young people.

While charging, that invisible damage can cause a short circuit. And then things go wrong:

• A battery fire is very intense and spreads rapidly.
• The smoke is extremely toxic.
• The battery can become very hot and explode.

Fire brigades are seeing more and more of these types of fires involving e-bike batteries. They usually start indoors: in corridors, workshops or storage areas. Sometimes even in spaces that also serve as escape routes. That makes the situation extra dangerous.

Insurers are seeing a rise in fires caused by e-bike batteries. As a result, they are setting stricter requirements for businesses that work with lithium-ion batteries. They expect policyholders to take preventive measures, such as charging e-bike batteries in a dedicated lithium battery safe. These requirements often align with existing regulations for the safe storage of e-bike batteries.

There is a clear reason for these stricter conditions. Risk expert Bart van de Broek from Dutch insurer Nationale-Nederlanden explains:

If a bicycle catches fire on the street, the damage is often limited to the bike itself. However, if the bike is indoors or in a large bicycle storage area beneath a building, it can easily develop into a multi-million-euro fire.

Watch the interview with risk expert Bart van de Broek from Nationale-Nederlanden.

There are several steps you can take to reduce the risk:

• Never charge batteries in escape routes.
• Always use the original charger.
• Avoid storing large numbers of batteries close together.
• Regularly inspect batteries for signs of damage.
• Use a dedicated battery safe for charging.

In a battery safe, e-bike batteries can be charged safely. If a fire does occur, it remains contained within the safe and cannot spread to the building. This also allows batteries to be charged safely without supervision, 24/7.

More and more businesses are choosing battery safes, as this is the safest way to charge and store multiple batteries at the same time. View all projects.

If you want to work safely with e-bike batteries, proper protection is essential. Batteryguard develops dedicated battery safes for lithium-ion batteries. These safes providessafe storage and safe charging for e-bike batteries. If a battery does catch fire, the flames remain contained within the safe and cannot spread to the building. Want to know more? Read more on our About us page.

Many organisations assume everything is under control, until something goes wrong. And by then, it is often too late. Now is the right moment to assess the actual level of risk.

Do the risk check and find out within minutes how safe your situation is.