‘Violent’ battery fires spark calls for national standards and crackdown on sellers

A nation-leading inquiry has argued for new standards to stamp out unsafe e-bike batteries after a series of deadly fires across Sydney.

State government authorities should crack down on online stores selling dodgy lithium-ion batteries to prevent potentially deadly fires from exploding e-bikes and e-scooters, a nation-leading inquiry recommends.

A NSW parliamentary inquiry into electric vehicle batteries has called for new nationwide standards to ensure “personal mobility devices” including e-bikes, e-scooters and motorised skateboards are safe, while delivering a number of damning findings on the “significant” fire risks posed by defective batteries.

The report, from parliament’s “Stay Safe” committee, has called for NSW authorities to carry out “ongoing inspections” to ensure devices comply with relevant safety standards.

It has also called for NSW Fair Trading to ban online trading platforms like Amazon and Temu from selling dodgy batteries that do not meet NSW’s strict standards.

The inquiry has called for the state government to lobby Canberra to strengthen quality control and “ensure consistent safety standards across all jurisdictions”.

The scene after a fire at E-Bike world in Croydon in January. Picture: Damian Shaw

Fire agencies also told the committee that building standards need to be upgraded to prevent new risks of EVs catching fire in apartment basements.

The inquiry found that EV battery fires can cause “intense, uncontrollable flames,” and the “violent release of toxic, corrosive and potentially flammable vapours”.

So far this year, Fire and Rescue NSW has recorded a total of 211 battery-related incidents.

About 50 people were evacuated after a fire at an electric bike shop in Chippendale in May. Picture: NewsWire

Of those, 62 were caused by “micromobility” devices, like e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards.

Battery-related incidents have forced a total of 631 evacuations this year, and led to 21 people being injured.

A firefighter suffered burns to the face when tackling a fire caused by an EV battery in Camperdown in June, and in March, up to 40 people evacuated an apartment block in Bankstown due to a suspected e-bike fire.

Just last week, a blaze that engulfed a semi-trailer on the Pacific Highway at Kempsey was made worse after mobile-phone sized batteries the truck was carrying kept reigniting the fire.

This year’s figures are set to eclipse the 272 lithium-ion battery fires recorded last year.

In response to the soaring rates of battery-related fires, the state government has moved to impose new safety standards.

Workers remove bricks from a leaning back wall of E-Bike World in Croydon after a fire there in January. Picture: Damian Shaw

An e-bike caught fire inside an apartment complex in Bankstown in March.

Corporations will be face fines of up to $825,000 if they sell products that do not meet safety standards, when the changes come into effect next year.

Committee chair Labor MP Greg Warren called for the federal government to “have a serious look” at how dodgy batteries are getting into the country.

“I think there may be substandard batteries in the market that aren’t fit for purpose nor meet the Australian standards,” he said.

“What is manufactured in Australia is of high quality standard, but when you’re looking at the online purchases … perhaps there’s loopholes that need to be closed,” he said.

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Originally published as ‘Violent’ battery fires spark calls for national standards and crackdown on sellers