The southern Chinese province of Guangdong will establish a recycling network for electric motorbikes (e-bikes) and their batteries to prevent battery-linked fires, as reported by Caixin on August 21. Non-profit social group Guangdong Electric Vehicle Association (GDEVA) will invite professional recycling enterprises and e-bike retailers to join the network. According to the GDEVA, Guangdong has more than 25m e-bikes, with over 10m e-bikes having entered their retirement. Establishing a recycling network could prevent the second sale of used components such as batteries, thus reducing the risk of fires linked to e-bikes.

China reported 8,370 fire disasters linked to e-bikes in the first half of 2022, rising 31.3% YoY. Consumers often sell their old e-bikes to retailers when purchasing new ones. Some retailers would then disassemble and recondition these used bikes and resell the components to new customers. However, the life span of e-bikes ranges between two and three years. Especially, lithium batteries could wear down their stability after exceeding their product lifecycle, leading to fire risks. Therefore, it’s urgent to form a recycling network for consumers to dispose of their used e-bikes environmentally soundly and for certified recycling firms to repurpose used cells. According to rules enacted by the transport agency of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, e-bike owners must register and get a license plate for their bikes before September 30, 2022. The regulation is expected to help track transfers of e-bikes and battery recycling. At present, fewer than 50% of the e-bikes in Guangzhou are licensed.

Sources:

https://www.caixin.com/2022-08-21/101929050.html

https://www.techradar.com/news/e-bike-fires-why-they-happen-and-how-you-can-prevent-them