E-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards will have to meet new product standards in New South Wales to halt a rising number of dangerous blazes.
Lithium-ion battery-related fires, including those caused by low-quality batteries in e-mobility devices, are the fastest-growing type of fires in NSW, with one every four days this year, the state government says.
In one blaze north of Sydney, two people died after a battery exploded in March.
Meanwhile, a coroner in July found a Queensland man died from burns to most of his body after a lithium-ion battery fire erupted in an e-scooter connected to an incompatible charger in 2022.
"We're acting ahead of other jurisdictions because unregulated products are posing a huge risk to property and in some cases, lives," NSW Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said on Thursday.
Under the new regime beginning in February 2025, products sold in NSW will need to meet a set of internationally accepted product standards and be appropriately tested and certified before they enter the market.
New testing, certification and labelling requirements will be introduced in a staged process.
E-mobility devices have experienced a rapid rise in popularity, with sales in NSW rising four-fold between 2020 and 2022.
Lithium-ion batteries, particularly poor-quality ones, are susceptible to uncontrolled thermal runaway events, which occur when the temperature in lithium-ion batteries increases faster than the energy can be dispersed to its surroundings.
The high temperature causes the battery to decompose, creating more heat and ultimately leading to an explosion of flammable gas.
The disposal of lithium-ion batteries has also caused havoc for waste companies, with rubbish and recycling trucks sparking fires when crushing wrongly disposed-of batteries.
Industry peak bodies, manufacturers, retailers and consumer groups were consulted over the new standards.
"E-bikes and e-scooters are fantastic mobility solutions for many people in NSW, improving health, reducing congestion and harmful tailpipe emissions, in many cases, they are faster to get to work and school and most importantly they are fun," Bicycle Industries Australia general manager Peter Bourke said.
"The vast majority of products on the market are safe, utilising similar battery cells to laptops and phones and Bicycle Industries Australia supports the direction of the NSW minister to ensure that all products meet the required quality standards."
Sellers of devices like e-bikes or e-scooters in NSW who breach the new standards will face penalties of up to $A825,000.
