Why China’s sweeping new e-bike battery guidelines matter for the US

As electrical bicycles proceed to develop in numbers within the US, so too have issues over the protection of their lithium-ion battery packs. A brand new security commonplace simply handed in China could quickly have a substantial impression on e-bike fireplace security.

E-bike battery fires, whereas exceedingly uncommon, have grow to be a significant concern within the US with important information protection. NYC is usually seen because the epicenter of e-bike battery fires due largely to the big inhabitants of e-bike supply riders and the low-quality Chinese language batteries used on such bikes. Supply riders’ e-bikes normally characteristic inferior-quality batteries so as to cut back prices to their house owners, who use them to carry out low-wage supply jobs.

Protecting the problem in perspective, extra deaths in NYC are attributed to area heater fires every year than e-bike battery fires, however the speedy progress of e-bike use within the US implies that fireplace security will proceed to be a rising concern.

With the overwhelming majority of battery fires originating from poorly produced Chinese language batteries designed for ultra-cheap e-bikes and e-scooters, it seems the Chinese language authorities is trying to handle the problem head-on. The nation simply handed new technical requirements for the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries like these utilized in micromobility units.

Generally known as the “Security Technical Specification for Lithium-ion Batteries Utilized in Electrical Bicycles,” the requirements regulate the design, manufacturing, and sale of lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes.

The rules particularly deal with technical issues regarding manufacturing high quality and fireplace threat, and canopy 22 particular features of the batteries’ design and manufacturing. Points addressed embody battery over-charging and over-discharging, exterior brief circuits, thermal abuse, battery punctures, and several other extra key areas.

Enforcement of the brand new commonplace is anticipated to start on November 1, 2024. After that date, no lithium-ion batteries for electrical bicycles shall be permitted on the market within the nation with out conforming to the brand new commonplace.

The usual presently solely addresses the home market, which is far bigger than China’s e-bike battery export market. There are an estimated 350 million e-bikes on the roads in China, with tens of thousands and thousands produced every year. The truth is, some main Chinese language producers alone produce tens of thousands and thousands of e-bikes and e-scooters every year.

How might the Chinese language commonplace impression US e-bikes?

The overwhelming majority of US-based electrical bicycles and their elements originate in China. I’ve personally visited a number of such Chinese language factories to see the size of manufacturing that many of those huge suppliers have achieved.

The brand new Chinese language e-bike battery requirements are anticipated to alter how electrical bicycle batteries are produced in China. Lots of the main suppliers of higher-quality batteries probably already meet or exceed the brand new requirements, however the budget-priced batteries recognized for reducing corners in pursuit of decrease prices will probably be weeded out by the rules.

Not like within the West, the place penalties for breaching requirements are sometimes much less extreme, the Chinese language authorities is extra heavy-handed with its management over each personal and state-related manufacturing companies. Whereas that comes with its personal litany of points, it additionally has the benefit of firms usually respecting and conforming to regulatory requirements. Meaning it probably gained’t take very lengthy for battery producers not already assembly these new security requirements to both improve their designs and manufacturing or else shut down manufacturing and swap industries.

Importantly, it seems that the rules will solely apply to China’s home market, not merchandise supposed for export. Nevertheless, with China’s marketplace for e-bike batteries dwarfing the remainder of the world, it probably gained’t make sense for factories to keep up separate manufacturing strains and designs for a a lot smaller export market. As an alternative, this might very nicely be a case of a rising tide lifting all ships, the place a rise within the manufacturing requirements for native e-bike batteries implies that export batteries can even come from the identical improved manufacturing strains.