[flybymike]

Electric bin lorry bursts into flames in central London

The lithium battery-powered trucks were recently launched under Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, as part of a green initiative to reduce carbon emissions in the capital.

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg of Westminster Council said last summer that the “trailblazing electrification” would improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions by 2,000 tonnes per year.

Meanwhile, the number of e-bike battery fires has risen by 70 per cent in a year across the country. In 2022, there were 158 fires linked to electric bikes – a number that had risen to 270 in 2023.
The UK’s 49 fire and rescue services attended 46 per cent more fires linked to lithium-ion batteries for all devices and appliances in 2023 than 2022, according to research collated through Freedom of Information requests by insurer QBE.
It appears that almost a third of lithium-ion battery fires involve e-bikes, with most of the rest electric scooters and electric cars.
The rise in the number of incidents has prompted calls from campaigners for a crackdown on rules surrounding the production and safety of such batteries.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/1 ... al-london/