Get the latest tech news

Why the e-bike boom is raising fire fears

Sales of electric bikes are booming but defective batteries and chargers can cause fires.

While he was initially tempted by cheaper models, he ultimately decided that investing in a better e-bike would pay off in terms of "higher range, safer batteries, easier access to repairs and a solid warranty". They're explosive and there's a lot of gas involved," explains Robert Slone, the senior vice president and chief scientist for UL Solutions, a safety science company. "Even if someone doesn't have a dedicated storage cabinet, if they have a room that's enclosed with doors that's away from where they sleep, that might be safer than leaving it in kind of a common area," says Mr Slone.

Get the Android app