[Why&Next] It's Not Just Electric Cars... Battery Fires Up 251% in 5 Years

Battery Fires Increase from 51 to 612 Cases in 5 Years
Half of Accidents Caused by 'Overcharging'
Urgent Need for Battery Safety Measures, but Discussions Are Sparse

On January 2nd last year, an electric bicycle powered by a lithium-ion battery caught fire after exploding in a subway station in Toronto, Canada. One person was injured in the incident. The photo is unrelated to the article content. Photo by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

In the past five years, fire incidents caused by batteries excluding electric vehicles have increased by 251%. This is due to the growing use of electric kickboards and electric bicycles that use lithium batteries. Following the apartment fire incident in Cheongna, Incheon, the government has launched an emergency meeting, raising calls for comprehensive battery safety measures not only for electric vehicles but also for all types of batteries.

According to the Fire Agency on the 12th, there were a total of 612 battery fire cases excluding electric vehicles in the past five years. The number increased every year from 51 cases in 2019 to 179 cases last year. During the same period, fires involving electric kickboards rose from 46 to 114 cases, accounting for the largest share. Electric bicycles saw a sharp increase from 2 to 42 cases, a 21-fold rise. As of last year, there were 12 cases of mobile phone battery fires, 9 cases involving electric motorcycles, and 2 cases related to electronic cigarettes.

The main cause of these fire incidents was overcharging. Out of the total 612 fires, 312 cases (51%) occurred during overcharging. Fires occurring while not charging accounted for only 60 cases (9.8%), and fires during parking were about 49 cases (around 8%). Fires during repairs numbered 45 cases (7.4%), impact-related fires were 17 cases (2.8%), and unknown causes accounted for 85 cases (13.9%).

The increase in fire incidents is attributed to the growing adoption of electric and electric-powered mobility devices. According to the Korea Smart e-Mobility Association (KEMA), domestic sales of electric bicycles reached 107,000 units in 2022. In 2018, sales were only 24,000 units, but they increased approximately 4.5 times in four years. According to the Samsung Transportation Safety Culture Research Institute, the number of shared electric kickboards in operation increased more than fivefold in three years as of 2022.

Urgent Battery Safety Measures Needed but Discussions Remain Distant

Although safety measures are urgently needed, progress remains distant. On the 1st, after a fire caused by an electric vehicle at an apartment in Cheongna International City, Incheon, the government held an emergency inter-agency meeting and began preparing countermeasures. However, only issues related to electric vehicles were reviewed, and battery safety measures for other mobility devices were not discussed. Local governments have been issuing various measures, but these mostly consist of promotional campaigns urging consumers to use devices safely.

In contrast, discussions on battery safety measures are actively ongoing abroad. In New York City, battery fires increased from 44 cases in 2020 to 200 cases as of September last year. Fires involving electric bicycles were the most frequent at 53 cases (26.5%), and charging-related fires accounted for 90 cases (45%) of the total. Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City, declared a “war on lithium battery fires” last year and signed a bill mandating safety certification for battery-powered mobility devices. In January, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans to push legislation banning the sale of uncertified lithium-ion batteries.

In the UK, fires involving electric bicycles and scooters surged from 77 cases in 2020 to 227 cases in 2022. Last year, 60 people were injured and 3 died. Especially after a major battery fire nearly occurred at the Kensington Hotel in January, calls for countermeasures grew louder. The UK Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) recalled the batteries that caused the fires and enforced a ban on their supply. Additionally, the government is reviewing battery safety at the national level and disclosing related information to consumers.

Meanwhile, the National Fire Research Institute established a battery “Fire Response Research Task Force (TF)” on the 5th of last month and has begun related research.