Only 3 Minutes! Delivery Driver Returned to Find His Electric Bicycle Burned to a Frame
A heartbreaking electric bicycle fire occurred in Putian, Fujian Province. A delivery driver went upstairs to deliver food, and after only three minutes, the electric bicycle parked downstairs suddenly caught fire. By the time he returned, the vehicle was reduced to a metal frame. The incident occurred near the Chengdong Hospital in Xianyou, where the delivery driver parked his electric bicycle and went upstairs to deliver food. Surveillance footage shows smoke rising from the vehicle less than half a minute after he left, quickly followed by flames over a meter high.
In just a few minutes, the fire spread rapidly, engulfing the entire vehicle. By the time the delivery driver came down, the entire electric bicycle had been burned beyond recognition and was almost completely destroyed.
The fire department’s preliminary assessment is that the fire was likely caused by the long-term, high-load use of the electric bicycle battery, leading to thermal runaway and spontaneous combustion.
Delivery drivers often ride for long periods continuously to save time and take more orders, keeping the battery in a high-power discharge state, constantly increasing the temperature, and easily causing short circuits, bulging, and fires.
This is not an isolated incident. In March of this year, a delivery driver in Zibo, Shandong Province, encountered the same danger, with his electric bicycle suddenly catching fire while delivering food, and the flames even burned his back. Fortunately, he did not suffer more serious injuries.
Electric bicycles have become the most relied-upon mode of transportation for delivery drivers, but the safety hazards caused by intensive use have been ignored by many. Long hours of riding without rest, using non-original chargers for fast charging, continuing to use aging batteries, and randomly modifying circuits are all major causes of fires.
The fire department also reminds delivery drivers that while it is hard work to earn money against the clock, safety is always more important than speed. Daily attention should be paid to avoid overloading the electric bicycle for extended periods, and the battery and circuits should be regularly checked for aging and damage.