Originally Posted by
cat0020
Have you ever seen the manufacturing process of the batteries you speak of?
How many times have you spoken or written with battery manufacturers about their manufacturing or testing process?
....
Unlike you, I don't like to personalize discussions about issues. However, since you ask----- I'm a manufacturing engineer, and quality issues like this fall within my area of expertise. No, I've no direct contact with Li-ion battery makers, and the ONLY battery factory I ever visited made batteries for US submarines. But. this isn't about the details of making batteries, it's about the need to design, produce quality batteries, not prone to internal shorts or overheating. It's also about quality control to ensure that what leaves the factory meets the basic design goals. All of this is well established science, so we're not talking about anything new or unattainable. Li-ion batteries are not new, and the various standards have been in place for years. If your laptop has a removable battery, pull it out and check for a sticker which probably says CE, which is the most common certification.
As for your comment that it will raise prices --- yes, that's possible, but only at the bottom end. Better makers already produce to globally accepted standards, and don't have to change (or charge more for) anything. However, low end producers, producing low quality batteries will have to either step up, or move on.
Lastly, consider options. Li-ion batteries ARE causing fires, not only in apartments, but on trucks, and cargo ships while in transit. Fortunately not on planes, because they're already blocked from air cargo. So,for fans of E-bikes it comes to a simple choice ----- either find ways to reduce the fire hazard, or face increasing restrictions on bringing E-bikes into residential buildings.
BTW- while I cheer NYS's proposal on certificate requirements, I don't consider it a solution. Most likely, the real solution will come from the USDOT, which regulates movement of hazardous goods. The best solution would require marking the outside of all shipping boxes containing a Li-ion battery above a specified size, and the certification. This is already the rule for many classes of hazardous products, so the idea is well understood, and proven to work. Carriers will rapidly adopt rules and refuse to haul uncertified batteries, and the problem will solve itself. Once USPS, FEDEX, the USPS and others restrict uncertified batteries, backed up with serious shipper fines fro violations, we can move forward.