Huge bang and house burns to the ground — just an e-bike battery mishap

World made 0.000001°C cooler, but house made 600°C hotter

Remember The Precautionary Principle: something about “no House-B”?

Melanie Sandford was sitting in bed on a rainy Sunday morning listening to a podcast about enlightenment when she heard a “huge bang”.

“A nanosecond later, there was an orange flash that ripped down past the bedroom door,” Ms Sandford said.

All signs point to the lithium ion battery of Ms Sandford’s beloved eZee Sprint e-bike as the culprit.

The firefighters arrived promptly – “I’m told it was four minutes but it felt like three hours” – but it was too late to save her home.

Another hidden battery cost?

GlowWorm Bicycles said eZee has recalled some faulty batteries, but lists these Handy safety tips for all e-bike batteries: Don’t charge them unsupervised, don’t overcharge, undercharge, charge near flammable things or charge overnight, and have a fire safety plan.

B A T T E R Y S A F E T Y

At Glowworm Bicycles we recommend the following precautions when charging your e-bike batteries:

- Always charge in an area where the battery can be supervised.

- Never charge your battery for longer than required. As a general rule, we suggest charging your batteries to up to 80% of their capacity. This will also support the longevity of your battery. We also recommend not running your battery down to empty prior to charging.

- The average lifespan of a lithium ion battery is 3-5 years, depending on usage and how well the battery is cared for. Most batteries will come with a 2 year warranty. We recommend replacing your battery if you begin to have issues with it after 5 years.

- If a battery is left uncharged for an extended period of time it may go flat and cannot be repaired. For good battery health, charge regularly.

- In case of an emergency we recommend you have a fire safety plan in place.

UPDATE: For the record, today a Corvette exploded into flames at a fuel station. Cause unknown.

h/t Dave B and Peter C

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