The news carries many stories about the disastrous fires caused by lithium batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) and electrical grid supplemental power units.
Many have seen the explosive fires of EVs occurring randomly (whether on charge or not) which are virtually impossible to extinguish by fire crews.
NSW Fire and Rescue list EV batteries as “Special Hazard”; fires occur daily.
There have even been a number of cases where pocket-sized lithium battery powered personal computer booster power packs have failed catastrophically, destroying airliners.
In some countries the risks to public and private property have resulted in bans on parking EVs in public garages.
Now take the case of an EV on public transport.
EV bikes/scooters are increasingly loaded onto public transport with no regard to the potential disaster of an explosive battery fire; which is not an unusual occurrence.
In the event an explosive lithium fire happens on a train, in particular, the intense fire and resulting acidic emissions would likely kill everyone in that carriage due to inhalation of HF/HCN/HCL vapours long before any passengers or train crew could effectively react.
It is prudent then for the safety of passengers and transport workers to ban the carriage of lithium battery powered EVs (e-bikes, scooters, etc.) internal to public transport vehicles.
That policy would be no different than the current Transport NSW position on carrying fuel containers or motorcycles on public transport.
I have written to Transport NSW via their website twice requesting a copy of their response plan to a lithium battery fire onboard public transport.
Paraphrasing the TNSW response – “Transport NSW is seeking the risks/issues regarding those devices to develop a risk-based position for the management of e-bikes and e-scooters on the rail network. The risk profile associated with a lithium-ion battery fire in different environments is being considered”.
From their response they have clearly not developed a Safety Case addressing lithium battery fires onboard public transport, which is negligent at this late date.
Better to take a conservative approach banning the hazard (EVs and petrol) up front, while gathering data.
Email, Apr 11
T. Bard, Retired Fire Prevention Engineer, Tascott
EV stands for Electric Vehicle and is not the same as an e bike or e scooter. Petrol cars are 10 times more likely to catch fire & people are happy to have them park nearly anywhere. EV’s can burn also but not as often – as reported by our Department of Defense some time back.