How to Prevent Fire Damages to Your Electric Scooter?

As with any revolutionary technological breakthrough, electric scooters go through stringent tests but as with any other scooter they are not without risk. The important thing is that, if maintained well, and instructions are followed correctly by the user, the risks far outweigh the good done by the product. In this article, we talk about electric scooter battery fire, electric scooter safety and how, with a few simple practices, it can all be prevented.

Why does an Electric Scooter Battery catch fire?

Ather Electric Scooter batteries are among the best out there in the market. Completely designed and built in India for Indian weather conditions, Ather electric scooter batteries are very reliable and safe.

While incidents of electric scooter fire are extremely rare, it’s important to delve into the reasons why they occur, so you can safely mitigate the risks to your electric scooter safety. Some of the most common reasons for electric scooter battery fire are:

1. Battery malfunctions: One of the primary reasons an electric scooter battery catches fire is battery malfunctions, which in turn makes the highly-combustible Lithium-ion with which these batteries are made react adversely and catch fire. These can be caused by manufacturing problems such as inadequate battery manufacturing systems and defects, or misuse-related problems like overcharging, using unauthorised chargers for electric scooter charging or physical damage to the electric scooter battery. All these could result in a phenomenon known as thermal runway, an uncontrollable increase in temperature that can lead to fires or explosions. Ather Electric Scooters with a well tested Battery Management System avoids such mishaps.
    
2. Faulty or loose wiring: If the wiring leading to the electric scooter battery is faulty during the manufacturing process, or comes loose because of wear and tear time, it could cause sparks leading to an ignition source, which in turn could lead to a fire.
    
3. External factors: While the aforementioned causes are mostly internal, there are some external and environmental factors that could, in rare cases, cause an electric scooter battery fire. If one meets with an accident, it is always recommended to take it to the Ather Experience centre and get the battery inspected for cracks or damages. India has, of late, seen some really hot summers, and excessive exposure of your electric scooter to such heat, prolonged sunlight or extreme weather conditions can impact the electric scooter’s safety and the stability of its components. 
    
4. Improper maintenance and modifications: Neglecting regular maintenance, or going to unauthorised mechanics for maintenance and modifications can cause component deterioration, tampered battery management systems and faulty wiring and connections, all of which can compromise the safety mechanisms put in by manufacturers like Ather, which could lead to electric scooter battery fire.

How to avoid Electric Scooter Fires

Now that we know the various reasons why electric scooter safety can be compromised, let’s look at what steps you can take to prevent an electric scooter fire in your Ather e-scooter:

1. Always use Ather-authorised chargers or the Ather Grid for Ather electric scooter charging. Do NOT borrow chargers, especially from riders of electric scooters made by other manufacturers. Do not buy chargers from outside vendors claiming to be selling Ather electric scooter charging devices.
    
2. Avoid overcharging your electric scooter. Most slow Ather chargers give you a 100% charge in 6-8 hours. Try to take it off charge at the earliest possible to give the battery a longer life. 
    
3. Regularly inspect your electric scooter, as per your warranty or service terms, without delay, at Ather Service Centres only. Do not take your electric scooter to a road side mechanic, even for seemingly small fixes.
    
4. Park your e-scooter in a place where it has enough shade and protection from the direct, harsh sunlight and rain. Keep it in a place that is normal room temperature, even in the summers. If you don’t have such provisions, get yourself an Ather Scooter Cover at the Ather Store to protect your Ather from the elements.
    
5. When you wish to replace the battery, do not attempt to do it yourself. Instead, bring it to an authorised Ather Service Centre we’ll have it done for you in a jiffy.
    
6. Keep your electric scooter away from any inflammable or combustible materials, especially while charging.
    
7. Do not try to repair or modify your Ather scooter yourself.

Conclusion

It is a rare but a possibility that an electric scooter battery fire may occur, especially if the electric scooter is exposed to extreme heat, is cracked, overcharged, charged by the wrong charger or modified by the wrong mechanic. By keeping a few things in mind, we can all prevent electric scooter fire and enhance electric scooter safety.