Posted on 01/10/2024 9:36:13 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has recently announced a hardline approach that bans the entrance of electric bicycles by visitors or staff due to SAFETY CONCERNS. NREL is a federally-funded R&D center that focuses on sustainable energy solutions, including research into solar energy and energy efficiency, among others.
According to the NREL’s fire marshal Nicholas Bartlett, micromobility devices such as electric scooters and bikes are no longer permitted to be charged or stored in the buildings. Bartlett explained:
| The data in the past few years shows an alarming trend of injuries and deaths, as demonstrated by entities such as NYFD and the UL Fire Safety Research Institute. The fires and explosions are attributed to a wide variety of causes such as mismatched chargers, overcharging, uncertified/Listed batteries, poor manufacturing quality, home made devices, etc. We cannot necessarily control what people purchase and use, but in some instances we are able to put restrictions on where and how an activity can be done (and we routinely do for everything from experiments with chemicals to fall protection). | |
You can't keep your small e-bike battery on a charger in your NREL office, but the very same NREL wants you to install a battery 10,000 to 100,000 times larger in your house to save the earth.
Never garage your EV in an attached garage, nor an E-Bike. Keep EVs at least 50ft from your home. No, I don’t/won’t own one of those POS things.
People are too damn lazy to peddle a frickin’ bike?
If these folks had any sense of irony, it would burn.
Our federal government no longer serves the people.
They read all the articles saying don’t do cardio so they do nothing in the way of physical exercise.
How much are they charging?
(Double meaning here.)
The OEM e-bike charger and battery, unless damaged, are practically risk-free if used in specified ambient conditions (i.e. not extremely hot or cold or wet) and disconnected when charge is completed for extra margin of safety. The danger is certainly lower than other common situations (e.g. 5 gallons of gas in container in garage).
“People are too damn lazy to peddle a frickin’ bike’
The e-bikes open up the possibility of distance riding to a lot more people. And these are not motorcycles; the standard mode of operation is “pedal assist” where the rider pedals and the motor adds power (either a fixed amount depending on a selector or a variable amount according to the torque the rider is already applying).
Finally someone mentions using incorrect or faulty chargers, which is the root cause of most battery fires.
I understand that the “pedal assist” is required by law, otherwise they would have to be registered as motor vehicles. If you don’t pedal, you don’t go.
Yeah, I have heard they are enforcing that on the CDA bike trails. Not around here.
A landlord can no longer prevent tenants in California from storing and charging their e-scooters and electric bikes in their apartment, unless the building has a safe, long-term storage unit. Senate Bill 712 takes effect on Jan
However, some Chinese suppliers cheat and skimp on the electrical safety components that monitor charging conditions on the battery. So if sensors that detect battery cell temperature are inferior or missing, it won't shut off the electricity causing the cells to overheat and rupture. Some e-bike batteries are completely missing the safety components. Buy from a reputable e-bike manufacturer, and don't buy cheap replacement battery packs (there is a reason why cheap clones cost a quarter of the oem pack).
Doesn't that depend on which state of the country you're operating it in? There are several classes of e-bikes. If button operated, they are limited by law to a low speed or denied use on public streets, depending on state laws. If pedal assisted, they are allowed a higher speed on public streets but still limited to a certain speed, depending on state laws.
I,was unaware o those various state rules. Thanks.
“...practically risk-free” still worries me, as does getting fried in a house fire.
BMW & Audi are having their EV problems, too:
https://www.autoblog.com/2023/12/26/porsche-audi-recall-plug-in-ev-chargers-over-outlet-fire-risk/
“The OEM e-bike charger and battery, unless damaged, are practically risk-free if used in specified ambient conditions”
Sounds as though NREL doesn’t agree, or they would have allowed charging with the above constraints.
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