Watch: Spine-chilling Video Shows Lithium-ion Battery Exploding Inside A House

We recently brought to your attention the plight of an Ola S1 owner who took his scooter into an elevator to charge it up. Well, the chilling video you’re about to see now is the worst outcome of what can happen when you decide to charge an electric two-wheeler, or even just its battery pack, inside your house.

This video, released by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), shows an electric motorcycle’s lithium-ion battery pack exploding into a ball of fire inside a residence in Illingworth, UK. We can see a man descending a flight of stairs in response to popping sounds emanating from the battery pack. Watch it below.

The noise heard was caused due to thermal runaway as per WYFRS. Thermal runaway occurs when the temperature of a cell rapidly increases, which then spreads to other cells, causing a chain reaction. This ultimately leads to the battery pack failing and exploding. 

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This video was released by WYFRS after the approval of the homeowner, to educate people about the dangers of charging lithium-ion batteries indoors. The incident definitely looks scary, but thankfully, none of the injuries sustained to the five people involved were life threatening. However, the explosion did cause severe damage to the house.

We at ZigWheels would like to emphasise on the need of charging your electric vehicles safely. Do not leave lithium-ion batteries unattended and unplug chargers when the batteries are fully charged.