On Jan. 16, lithium-ion batteries located in the Moss Landing storage facility and owned by Vistra, a Texas-based energy company, ignited and burned for two days. The fire, which burned about 55% of what was at the time the world's largest battery energy storage system, made international headlines and caused local concern and confusion over the possible environmental and health effects of the disaster.
At the heart of Darongkamas's dispute with Qantas is whether her scooter is a mobility aid, as she argues, or a personal electronic device, as the airline insisted during a six-month long complaints process. Qantas says it aims to be the airline of choice for customers with specific needs, but Darongkamas says Qantas is the only carrier that hasn't let her fly with her Topmate ES33 scooter and its 281Wh lithium battery.
Lumafield has released the results of a new study of lithium-ion batteries that "reveals an enormous gap in quality between brand-name batteries and low-cost cells" that are readily available through online stores including Amazon and Temu. The company used its computed tomography (CT) scanners, capable of peering inside objects in 3D using X-rays, to analyze over 1,000 lithium-ion batteries. It found dangerous manufacturing defects in low-cost and counterfeit batteries that could potentially lead to fires and explosions.
Toronto's fire chief is asking the federal government to increase regulation around lithium-ion batteries, calling battery fires related to e-bikes and e-scooters "the largest growing fire safety risk in the city." The batteries are commonly found in electric cars, laptops, smartphones and other electronic devices, but Chief Jim Jessop says their use in e-bikes and e-scooters is Toronto Fire's main concern.
But the TSA said their counterpart has restrictions: cordless hair styling tools that are powered by lithium metal or lithium ion batteries or gas or butane fuel are only allowed in carry-on bags. That's so that passengers or flight attendants can react if they start to overheat in the cabin. If they overheat or combust in your checked bag in the cargo area of a plane, it may take a while for anyone to notice.
The startup manufactures silicon anode materials, which significantly boost the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Group14 currently operates three factories, two in the U.S. and one in South Korea. Despite headlines about softening demand growth for electric vehicles, the global market for lithium-ion batteries remains strong. Over the next decade, its expected to grow more than 15% annually, quintupling in size, according to Precedence Research.
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