Recently, the widespread attention has been drawn to fires caused by electric bicycles, prompting various regions to commence rectification of issues related to the use of electric bicycles. Against the backdrop of the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, many representatives and industry insiders have proposed the urgent revision of relevant technical specifications and the introduction of mandatory national standards.
As understood, in the past period, several districts of Beijing have begun to implement comprehensive surveys and statistics on the use of electric bicycles. This measure aims to strengthen community management of electric bicycles, with the goal of identifying and eliminating safety hazards. In some residential areas, electric bicycle users are required to provide detailed information such as license plate number, brand, purchase date, and battery type.
Recently, fire and emergency management departments in multiple areas of Guangdong Province have issued notices, clearly defining the legal responsibilities for improper parking and illegal charging of electric bicycles. The notices prohibit the parking and charging of electric bicycles in public areas within buildings such as lobbies, evacuation passages, stairwells, and places that do not meet fire safety conditions. It is also stressed that it is forbidden to bring electric bicycles and their batteries into elevator cars or to charge batteries inside residential units.
To prevent and control the quality and safety risks of electric bicycles, the market supervision departments of many cities in Henan Province have recently carried out targeted inspections. These inspections primarily focused on verifying whether the electric bicycles had passed mandatory certification, whether their structure and main performance indicators matched the product qualification certificates, and whether there were instances of privately installed or modified batteries. They also verified the consistency of the brand, model, and type of batteries and chargers.
The market supervision departments in Jiangsu Province have followed Henan’s lead by requiring dealers to implement an inspection system for incoming goods to ensure that the source of electric bicycles sold is traceable. The fire supervision departments in multiple cities in Hubei Province have conducted detailed inspections of the parking conditions of electric bicycles in residential areas, charging facilities, and surrounding fire-fighting configurations, and have intensified the special rectification of illegal parking and charging activities.
According to data provided by the National Fire and Rescue Service, there were as many as 18,000 fires caused by failures of electric bicycles (including electric-assist bikes) in 2022, an increase of 23.4% compared to the previous year. Inside residential areas, the number of fire incidents caused by battery failures (mainly charging batteries for electric bicycles) was 3,242, which represented a rise of 17.3% over the previous year.
Industry experts, when discussing lithium batteries, pointed out that the charging and discharging process of lithium batteries rely on the movement of lithium ions between the anode and cathode. The main factors leading to lithium battery explosions, from a technical perspective, include overcharging and short-circuiting. During actual use, battery damage and combustion may occur due to impacts or compression; short-circuits may happen if the battery casing is not adequately waterproof; and continuous overcharging and discharging caused by using low-quality protection boards can all lead to abnormal battery behavior and combustion.
While discussing the safety of lead-acid batteries, experts emphasized that lead-acid batteries are composed of lead, lead oxide, dilute sulfuric acid, and glass fiber, all of which are non-combustible materials. Without external fire sources, it is virtually impossible for lead-acid batteries to ignite spontaneously.
If a lead-acid battery is left in an isolated storage state, that is, disconnected from the load with both positive and negative terminals disconnected, it will not generate current, nor will it self-ignite or catch fire. The safety hazards that usually occur during use are mainly due to non-standard operations, such as using an improper charger or failing to meet the requirements for proper ventilation and air permeability, resulting in the accumulation of heat inside the battery that cannot be effectively dissipated. If severe, this can lead to battery swelling, deformation, and even the possibility of electrolyte leakage.
To strengthen fire safety management in residential areas, a series of recommendations have been proposed. These include mandating a dedicated parking area for electric bicycles in newly built or renovated residential areas and equipping these areas with charging facilities. Further requirements suggest that newly built or renovated residential communities should introduce smart management systems, install identification and alarm devices in elevators to prevent electric bicycles from entering.
At the same time, it is recommended to strengthen the management of the production and certification of electric bicycles, speed up the upgrade of the “Safety Technical Specification for Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Bicycles” to a compulsory national standard, which could more effectively manage and recycle waste batteries. It is suggested to establish comprehensive national regulatory measures covering the entire process of waste battery recycling, storage, transport, disposal, and reuse, and to set up a thorough traceability mechanism to prevent the re-use of inferior waste batteries, thereby harming the market.
Additionally, it is recommended to adjust the “Safety Technical Specification for Electric Bicycles” appropriately, such as increasing the maximum weight limit of vehicles to 65 kilograms, enhancing battery capacity and endurance, improving electrical safety standards to ensure charging safety for electric bicycles, and adding regulations for special road sections to ensure riding safety.
There are also suggestions to include a strict single-cell battery puncture test in the existing “Safety Requirements for Electric Vehicle Power Batteries” (GB38031) and to develop reasonable testing standards. On this basis, introduce combustion spray tests in the “Safety Technical Specification for Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Bicycles” and develop specific testing methods and requirements for energy batteries used in electric bicycles, aimed at improving battery safety performance and reducing the risk of electric bicycle fires, better protecting people’s lives and property.
With the enthusiastic proceedings of the National Two Sessions, what has drawn attention is the financial revenue performance of a prefecture-level city which surprisingly exceeded that of the municipalities of Chongqing and Tianjin. This phenomenon demonstrates the economic strength and development potential of the said city, becoming a focal point of heated discussion.
