Forum Topic

E scooters banned on southern rail

E scooters, E bikes, E hoverboard and E skateboards all banned on southern trains and stations.Assume as rail delivery group have recommended this then it will be all trains and stations.

Andy Pike ● 754d19 Comments

Well, Barbara, the facts seem to show that EVs are less likely to catch fire. A problem seems to be that EVs are new and some fire brigades are less experienced at dealing with them than the more common petrol car fires? QED :-)https://www.warpnews.org/transportation/electric-cars-catch-fire-less-often-than-fossil-fuel-carshttps://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/are-electric-car-fires-really-that-common/As pointed out in the second article, the EV industry is very new so there's plenty of scope for reducing fires and improving extinguishing techniques. One might be surprised that after over a century of development ICE fires are so common?

Michael Ixer ● 747d

Some have caught fire while charging in peoples garages.

Barbara Stevens ● 747d

Did put higher up on this post about all the batteries in an electric car. I'm sure if you google there will have been a lot burst in flames.

Barbara Stevens ● 747d

Relaxing and sitting drinking coffee in the sun at Bexhill-on-Sea after a hard couple of days of museums, gardens, science (with live sunspots and solar flares, discussion on gravity waves with a PhD student at Herstmonceux), etc and noticed smoke in the distance. Thought at the time it was a rubbish fire near the railway but on the way back to the B&B saw this burnt out car:https://www.flickr.com/gp/m-j-i/9SxP4J32J5According to the policeman attending the recovery the car turned a corner then spontaneously combusted; fortunately the driver made a very quick exit unharmed!A warning, don't buy ICE hydrocarbon fuelled cars, they're burst into flames!Perhaps these school kids think the future was electric ...https://www.flickr.com/gp/m-j-i/H2DB8d2a1AAnyway, I suppose pedal bicycles must be safer, I've never heard of one of those spontaneously combusting :-)

Michael Ixer ● 747d

“Our advice is to store and charge these items in a safe location if possible, such as in a shed or a garage, and if they have to be stored inside, make sure there is smoke detection fitted and your means of escape is not obstructed."Good advice  - otherwise quite a few local entrepreneurs offer a free off site storage facilities with out of hours collection.

Ed Robinson ● 750d

Front page footage, explosion on forum,

Barbara Stevens ● 751d

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/uk-electric-car-choice-quadruples-in-five-years/ar-AA1bFsh7?The LFB warn about dangers of DIY e-bike conversions:https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/lithium-batteries/electric-bicycle-conversion-kits/#Yes, there are a tremendous number of white goods fires.  It is very important to register your ownership of these appliances so that if and when there is a recall you can be contacted (or there is a greater chance that you will be).  These fires can be a particular problem in high rises.

Philippa Bond ● 752d

Ed, agreed, one needs to consider this in a proportionate way. Any release of energy to power mechanical or electrical devices can lead to an unexpected release of heat energy if a fault or accident occurs. Look at the fires caused by the combustion of hydrocarbons in ICEs and turbines, and - if it's mishandled - hydrogen can create a very big bang when it mixes with oxygen; the Hindenburg disaster put airships off the transport agenda for a long time!

Michael Ixer ● 752d

I find there's a certain irony that not only is Lithium chemically volatile but so is its market price. It's also fitting that we're dependent on the first element, Hydrogen, and the third and last element, Lithium, created in the aftermath of the big bang to save the planet:-)

Michael Ixer ● 752d

To put the fires in perspective, there were twice as many fires caused by white goods. However nearly everyone has at least two or three white good appliances in their home.The new generation of batteries they have started using in electric cars are a lot safer and cheaper. Perhaps in a couple of years I may consider one.https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-byd-blade-ev-battery-stands-extreme-durability-tests

Ed Robinson ● 753d

Don't buy an electric car as they have many more batteries. One way to burn the planet.

Barbara Stevens ● 753d

The majority of fires were from e-bikes according to the Evening Standard article:I wonder if e-bikes having larger batteries is a factor. Difficult to know how many e-bikes are in use compared with e-scooters."Figures obtained by the Standard from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) show it was called to 104 fires involving lithium batteries last year – 44 from e-bikes, 28 from e-scooters and 32 other incidents, including mobile phones, laptops and cases where the e-scooter or e-bike was not identified."https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/south-western-railway-ban-escooters-trains-stations-b1083064.html

Ed Robinson ● 753d

No, you did not mention wheelchairs but the sentence in the article I quoted did include them.No problem about the bikes!!

Ivonne Holliday ● 754d

I didnt mention wheelchairs.Got the bikes wrong its e unicycles

Andy Pike ● 754d

Of course it is the same.But, "The ban does not include e-bikes or electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters", at least in SWT

Ivonne Holliday ● 754d

I wasnt referring to the front page article. The email I received from Southern rail as a regular user of their service statesSouthern rail BANS e scooters etc etc.It also states,  further details of the BAN can be found and then gives the link.Seems like a ban to me or a forbidden item.

Andy Pike ● 754d

So they are not banned just forbidden, ok seems the same to me

Andy Pike ● 754d

Hello Andy,According to the article, e-bikes are not banned."...The company will follow other train operators in forbidding e-scooters from being taken aboard its services from Thursday 1 June with the restrictions including e-unicycles, e-skateboards and hoverboards. ......The ban does not include e-bikes or electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters for those with accessibility needs. ..."

Ivonne Holliday ● 754d

Yes, seen on the front of forum

Barbara Stevens ● 754d