The Politics of Climate Change: Green New Deal And Other Madness

[treesparrow]

Report from India on November 20.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/bengaluru-electric-vehicle-showroom-catches-fire-while-charging-a-scooter-20-year-old-employee-killed-101732072050020.html

Bengaluru Electric Vehicle showroom catches fire while charging a scooter, 20-year-old employee killed​

The victim, Priya, an accountant at MY EV store and a resident of Bengaluru's Ramachandrapura, tragically passed away in the fire accident.

A devastating fire at an EV electric bike showroom on Bengaluru’s Dr. Rajkumar Road near Navarang Bar Junction claimed the life of a 20-year-old woman and left another person injured on Tuesday evening.

According to reports, The victim, Priya, an accountant at MY EV store and a resident of Ramachandrapura, tragically passed away in the fire accident. Priya was set to celebrate her 21st birthday on 20 November.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1858882813774241810

The fire broke out at around 5:30 p.m. in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar police station limits. According to senior fire and emergency officials, the blaze is suspected to have been triggered by an EV scooter battery explosion during charging. The fire quickly engulfed the showroom, and 45 electric scooters are believed to have been gutted in the fire.

While other employees managed to escape, Priya was trapped in a cabin. Thick smoke filled the confined space, causing her to suffocate, and she sustained severe burns.

Emergency services swung into action quickly, deploying five fire-fighter teams and an SDRF van to douse the flames. Nearby buildings and shops were evacuated as a safety measure, and traffic police diverted vehicles from the area to prevent further risks.

Bengaluru Police have registered a case, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire.

 

[XPan]

Stockholm Subway

Here in Stockholm, Sweden, from 25 November 2024 and onwards, all electrical bicycles and similar will be forbidden.

It was about time, because I often wondered what would happen the day one of those things explode while driving the metro. Given the fierceness and excessive toxic smoke quickly spreading in a closed wagon with many people... That is a scenario you simply don't wish to happen.

On the negative side is, that the advertising of this new ban was and is absolutely lousy / almost non existent. Given how many people use these EV kick-bikes, i doubt many people are aware of the ban. It means, that I am required to refuse to drive the subway any further, every time a person goes on board with a EV kick-bike

But hey, at the same time, we are also required to be punctual... (with some middle bosses being onto staff like little Stasi agents) So,"this is going to be sooooo fun"

On the commuter trains however, those EV kick-bikes are still to be allowed.

 

[Voyageur]

Here in Stockholm, Sweden, from 25 November 2024 and onwards, all electrical bicycles and similar will be forbidden.

As time passes, there may be many more restrictions around the world.

The following is a snapshot from UL (UL is a Standards certifications body for electrical works - switches, fuses, anything really):

New Report: How E-Bike Awareness Gaps and Behavior Increase Battery Fire Risks | UL Standards & Engagement

Today, UL Standards & Engagement released a report that reveals e-bike and e-scooter owners’ alarming misunderstanding of the lithium-ion batteries that power their devices and the fire threat that they pose. Further, the report identified a series of dangerous practices, from unsafe charging...

ulse.org

snip:

[...]
The e-mobility market has grown exponentially. U.S. e-bike sales leaped by 269% between 2019 and 2022, and riders took an estimated 20 million e-bike share and 57 million e-scooter share trips in 2022. Unfortunately, the number of fires caused by the lithium-ion batteries that power these devices are also growing. The New York City Fire Department reported a dramatic rise in such fires in 2023, with 268 incidents leading to 150 injuries and 18 deaths. San Francisco tells a similar story, with 215 battery fires documented since e-bikes and e-scooters gained popularity there in 2017. As more Americans choose to ride, the safety awareness deficit needs to be understood and reduced.

Key findings in the report include:​

1. E-mobility devices are critical to the work lives of urban residents. 54% of owners purchased e-bikes or e-scooters for work, and 72% of them have used it for delivery gigs in the past 12 months. Riders are mostly in urban areas (45%) and are more likely to be low (39%) or middle income (32%).
2. There is little awareness of the power source or its risk. The majority of owners of these devices are unaware that their e-bike (53%) or e-scooter (54%) is powered by a lithium-ion battery. Not understanding the power source — and consequently the risks it carries — leads to riders having low concerns about the safety of their device.
3. The lack of awareness is translating to behaviors that increase fire risk. The way users charge their e-bikes and e-scooters increases the hazard of overheating batteries and potential fire risk. Nearly half of e-bike riders (49%) who charge at home are blocking their home’s fire exits, a contributing factor in several cases where death occurred. More than half (53%) leave their e-bikes or e-scooters plugged in even after reaching full charge. Further, e-mobility users report routinely charging either overnight (41%) or unattended while away from home (26%).
4. Battery replacement practices introduce concerning safety variables. Nearly half of e-bike owners (48%) have replaced their old e-bike battery: 11% did so because their old battery caught on fire; 16% because the old battery was damaged from a crash or collision; 24% because old battery was overheating; and 28% because they noticed swelling or bulging on the old battery.

[...]