A lithium-ion battery that has been dropped, crushed, dented, punctured, swollen, flooded or overheated can fail inside without showing it at first. A failing cell can heat up by itself, release flammable and toxic gas, and start a fire that spreads to the next cells (thermal runaway). London Fire Brigade warns that these fires start quickly, spread fast and give off toxic smoke. The rule is: stop, isolate, keep away, report. You do not repair the pack. A damaged lithium-ion battery cannot be safely repaired (Consumers' Federation of Australia).
Safety
- Warning signs (London Fire Brigade): unusual heat, swelling or bulging, lumps, leaks or damage to the case, hissing or crackling sounds, strong chemical smells.
- If there is smoke or fire: get away, keep others away, call the fire service, and do not try to put it out yourself (London Fire Brigade). Do not go back for the bike.
- Never charge, ride, open, puncture or press on a damaged pack. Do not put it inside a house, shop, vehicle or matatu/tuk-tuk to carry it.
- Wear gloves and eye protection if you must touch it (Consumers' Federation of Australia).
Steps
- Stop. Pull over and stop riding as soon as it is safe. If charging, switch off at the wall and unplug the charger at the wall.
- Switch off the bike and take the key.
- Check for smoke, hissing, heat or smell. If any: move away at once, warn people, call the fire service. Stop here.
- Isolate. If there are no signs of fire and the battery is a removable swap battery, take it out only if it comes out normally, without force. Do not lift a hot or swollen battery. Place it outdoors on bare ground or concrete, away from buildings, vehicles, fuel and anything that burns.
- If the battery is fixed in the frame, leave the whole bike outdoors in the same kind of place.
- Keep away. Keep people, children and animals away. Watch it from a distance for the next few hours; delayed fires happen.
- Report. Call the dealer, fleet or swap operator support line. Tell them what happened (drop height, crash, water, heat), the battery ID, and the signs you saw. In swap networks the battery usually belongs to the operator (Gogoro), so it is their decision what happens next.
- Do not transport it yourself by bus, taxi or courier. Damaged lithium batteries fall under special transport rules in the UN dangerous goods regulations, with stricter packing for batteries that could overheat or catch fire (The Compliance Center). The operator or a specialist moves it.
- Do not reuse a pack that was dropped hard, crushed, punctured, swollen or submerged until the manufacturer or operator has checked it.
- For disposal, use the manufacturer, operator or an approved battery recycler. Never put a lithium pack in household rubbish.
Check your work
- The pack is outdoors, away from anything that burns, with no one near it.
- The operator or dealer has been told, with the battery ID and what happened.
- No one will charge or fit that battery again until it has been checked.
If it did not fix the problem
- This page is about making safe, not fixing. Next steps are for the operator, dealer or battery specialist.
- Related: Battery pack is hot, hissing or smells, Bike has been in deep water or a flood.