New Graphene-Based 18650 Battery Cells Promise To “End E-Bike Fires”

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If you follow the news about e-bikes, you’re probably well aware of how many fires have been attributed to e-bikes in the last few years. And while the majority of e-bike owners will never experience their electric two-wheeler bursting into flames, it does happen from time to time, and because many of those electric bikes are being stored and charged indoors, the risk to both people and pets as well as property is very real when they do occur.

Not to minimize the impact that e-bike fires can have, because when they do happen, they can be devastating, but the truth is that they aren’t nearly as common as the media would have you believe. With the mentality of “if it bleeds, it leads,” in the media, tragedy and catastrophe tend to get a lot more attention than positive and feel-good stories.

However, with the rise in popularity and the availability of a lot of cheaper and lower quality e-bikes flooding the market, the issue of e-bike fires isn’t going away anytime soon, unless and until better and safer battery chemistries (and chargers and education about best charging practices) become the norm.

To that end, news about any production-ready ‘non-flammable’ batteries is good news, and a recent press release from Nanotech Energy makes a pretty bold promise, which is that its new 18650 cell will “end e-bike fires.” Granted, many press releases err on the side of exaggeration, so it’s probably best to take this news with a pinch of (lithium) salt, but if these new cells get widely adopted in e-bikes and other e-mobility options, it could very well be some potent risk-reducing progress.

According to Nanotech Energy, the new graphene-based 18650 battery cells, which will be produced starting in early 2024 at the company’s 50,000-square-foot production plant in Chico, CA, are available through its commercialization partner, Voltatech Energy.

“The cells, which are currently available for pre-order, bring together Nanotech Energy’s electrolyte and proprietary electrodes with Soteria metallized polymer current collectors to make a major advance in battery technology. The result is a 100% American-made non-flammable lithium-ion battery pack that has shown its strength and resilience by surviving a remarkable abuse test involving a 4.5BRA bullet shot at a speed of 2,917 feet per second.”

Voltatech Energy is currently accepting pre-orders through its website, and while pre-ordering large quantities of new battery cells that haven’t been fully tested and vetted by each buyer for their specific application isn’t likely, e-bike and other e-mobility manufacturers may want to look closely at the new cells for their future products. More information about Soteria and Nanotech Energy is available on their respective company websites.