Electric bikes are back in the headlines after two deaths in Beijing, once again the result of improper topping up of the vehicles’ batteries. The message is simple; don’t take batteries home to charge. Or face considerable penalties.
In the early hours of last Friday, 7 April, a fire broke out in a resident’s private dwelling in Fengtai District of Beijing.
The accident not only resulted in the death of a senior in the dwelling, but also the death of an upstairs neighbour who was trying to escape. Another person was injured in the incident.
After preliminary investigation, it was determined that the fire was caused by the senior’s family taking an e-bike’s battery home to charge. It exploded and caught fire, as per a report by Sohu.
This is only the latest in a long line of serious incidents arising from the improper charging of e-bike batteries. According to Beijing Daily, the risk of e-bike fires stems from product quality defects, unauthorised modifications, and non-standard parking and charging.
Almost exactly 2 years ago, this publication reported on a Nanjing court determining criminal negligence to hand a local man a 3 and a half year jail term after three died as the result of him installing a battery in his e-bike other than the factory standard.
The e-bike fire had broken out while it was parked in a typical alleyway in a Nanjing residential community, before spreading to the adjacent building, torching an apartment therein.
Meanwhile, CCTV News has reported that 80 percent of e-bike fires occur during charging, and fully 90 percent of those fires lead to fatalities on account the bikes are left in stairwells or passageways.
This was the case on 3 March of this year, when a fire broke out on the third floor of a residential building in Changshu City of Suzhou in our very own Jiangsu Province.
While there were no casualties, it was determined upon investigation that the fire was caused by a tenant bringing their e-bike battery inside to charge. The offender, surnamed Li, was handed a 3-day detention.
Away from the obvious dangers, readers of The Nanjinger should hence be aware of the legal implications and possible penalties facing those who flout regulations as to e-bike use.
Should e-bikes be parked or charged in the public entranceways, evacuation points, stairwells or emergency exits of high-rise buildings, authorities may impose upon the offender a fine of between ¥2,000 and ¥10,000.
