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Some residential buildings in Dubai have issued an order for their tenants not to bring e-scooters inside their apartments, citing safety reasons, Khaleej Times has learned.
An administrator for a cluster of residential buildings in Al Barsha who requested not to be named said the directive came from the management “following complaints from tenants that e-scooters crowd corridors and common areas in shared accommodation. Some also fear that they (e-scooters) pose fire risk, especially when left charging overnight.”
“There have been few instances – not in our building – of e-scooter battery sparking and catching fire,” the building administrator noted.
E-scooter have increasingly become popular among UAE residents because of their practicality. They are also appropriately promoted as first and last-mile green mobility solutions, suited for short distances.
RoadSafety UAE, however, noted “the appropriate infrastructure is growing, but it does not match the current demand and use of e-scooters."
“We see all ages of e-scooter users. We see e-scooters used practically on all surfaces, like roads, pedestrian walkways, and bike lanes. We observe careless users like even on dedicated zones at night many e-scooters go without lights; only a minority wear helmets, protective gear, and reflective safety vests,” said Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE.
Other safety experts have also warned against the use of substandard e-scooters and chargers that are easily available online. E-scooters are powered by lithium-ion batteries that can overheat, catch fire and cause an explosion, especially when they are damaged or manufactured defectively.
Although there is no available data on e-scooters catching fire, there has been a couple of instances of e-scooter batteries overheating and exploding.
Carlo, a long-time Dubai resident who lives in Deira, recounted to Khaleej Times how his e-scooter exploded. He said: “I left my e-scooter – as I used to do – charging in the kitchen overnight. At first, I smelled something like a burning plastic and when I checked the kitchen it was already too late – the battery exploded.”
The incident occurred early this year. “It happened so fast and I was not able to run away. Thankfully, ours was not an open kitchen so the fire was immediately contained and no other room was affected. But I still suffered from third-degree burns,” he added.
Carlo, who has been using an e-scooter for his commute to work for over three years now, said he was completely unaware that the battery replacement for his e-scooter he bought online did not meet the safety standards.
Safety experts explain “lithium-ion batteries are designed to contain a massive amount of energy in a very small space. When damaged or not properly maintained, the battery can overheat.”
If one cell overheated, a process called ‘thermal runaway’ could happen and cause a spark or chemical reaction leading to explosion.
However, electric vehicle batteries, including those used for e-scooters remain far safer and cause fewer accidents than fires caused by cooking, heating or smoking, according to experts.
E-scooter riders must always bear in mind to make safety a priority. Here are various tips culled from various sources to reduce the risk of fire when charging an e-scooter:
- Never charge overnight, while you are out, or asleep
- Stay away from substandard scooter and chargers that are easily available online
- Don’t buy cheap and knock-off replacement lithium batteries. Buy from reputable sellers only
- Keep an eye out for warning signs that your battery might be failing and becoming a fire risk
- Install smoke alarms where you charge your batteries
- Use the correct charger for your battery
- Unplug your charger once the battery has finished charging
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