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Envect t1_iuf58gj wrote

Reply to comment by SpiritDCRed in Fires from exploding e-bike batteries multiply in NYC — sometimes fatally by zsreport

Don't higher quality chargers have protections built in? I used to play airsoft and I swear my charger had some safety shut off. I still kept a close eye on it though.

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thisplacemakesmeangr t1_iufwhpd wrote

They say the problem generally comes when they don't use stock chargers.

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asdaaaaaaaa t1_iug4a83 wrote

That's my understanding as well. Modifications or people getting really cheap stuff that's not directly meant for the batteries/device.

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WesBur13 t1_iugqoa3 wrote

Ehh I argues to say most aftermarket chargers have much better control and quality compared to included chargers. I personally use ISDT and HiTech brand chargers and they are leaps and bounds beyond what is included with air soft and RC related stuff.

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gonewild9676 t1_iuhb2gm wrote

Those are probably ok. The likely issue is that they go on Amazon and see good chargers for $150 and other chargers for $20 and they are $20 for a reason.

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notFREEfood t1_iufk5sd wrote

I've got a name-brand ebike, and from what I can tell, the charger automatically shuts off once the battery is fully charged.

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[deleted] t1_iuflzm3 wrote

[deleted]

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rpkarma t1_iug55wy wrote

It’s one of the most common though: people using cheap third party chargers without good protection circuits/overcharge protection.

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Zinrockin t1_iugl9xk wrote

Yeah if you’re not buying a charger with a long list of protections then you’re gambling.

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doommaster t1_iug236y wrote

You need a good BMS too, the issues mostly arises from cells being overcharged because single cells are broken and not taking a charge anymore.
With NiCad and NiMH cells the batteries would just get warm and eventually the charger would hit a time or temperature limit.
With Lithium cells the charger or BMS have to detect this condition and stop the charge.
Most lithium cells will start breaking down very quickly once they are being overcharged, which is often resulting in fires.
On the other hand, fires of cars and such are also not really uncommon but often happen outside and cars also do not scale well in high density areas but eBikes eventually will.
What worsens the whole situation is the inconsequential regulation or the lack there of, of eBikes which prevents bigger players from entering the market and creating a common quality level.
Looking at Europe and Japan far over 90% of the eBikes are big brands which could never tolerate such failures in their product lines.

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robotobo t1_iuiv5ca wrote

Are people actually charging these batteries without looking at each cell group? As somebody who works with lithium batteries, that's terrifying.

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doommaster t1_iujttg7 wrote

People are dumb, and sellers/manufacturers cut corners all the time.

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DancesWithBadgers t1_iuhfk0m wrote

It's all money. A good charger will have protection; but there's also extra protection in the device itself for balancing the cells. All of these things cost extra to manufacture.

There's also things that no amount of electronic protection can save you from...like water; physical damage of a cell; or just a badly-manufactured cell. Lithium cells are prone to thermal runaway which is scientese for saying they're really, really bad at dealing with short-circuits.

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