If you’ve seen the video—an electric bike bursting into flames, this time just downstairs—you’ve probably asked yourself the same question:
What would I do if it happened to me?
Lithium batteries power much of our daily micro-mobility, from e-bikes and scooters to e-skateboards. They’re convenient, efficient, and increasingly common. But when they fail, they fail fast and ferociously.
Unlike ordinary fires, lithium battery fires are chemical. Water won’t put them out. In many cases, water can even make things worse.
So before you charge that battery overnight in the hallway or park your e-scooter next to the office exit, here’s a quick science-backed safety checklist for riders, commuters, and facility managers alike.
Do not try to outrun the scooter indoors. Move away immediately. Lithium batteries can escalate from smoke to explosive flame in seconds.