Pedego Battery Recall: Fire Hazard

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...e-batteries-due-to-fire-hazard-300073766.html
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2015/Pedego-Recalls-Electric-Bicycle-Battery
Recall Summary
Name of Product: Lithium ion rechargeable batteries
Hazard: The batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard.
Remedy: Replace
Consumers should immediately remove the battery from the bike and contact Pedego for a free replacement battery.
Consumer Contact: Pedego Electric Bikes toll-free at (888) 870-9754 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, email info@batteryrecall2015.com, or online at http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com and click on "Voluntary Battery Recall" for more information.
Recall Details
Units: About 5,000
Description: This recall involves 36-volt and 48-volt lithium ion rechargeable batteries sold separately and as original equipment with Pedego electric bikes. Recalled batteries of each voltage came in two styles. One style has a silver or black metal case that measures about 13 ½ inches long, 6 ½ inches wide and 2 ½ inches high, with black plastic end caps and a handle. The other style has a black or white plastic case that measures about 14 inches long, 6 ½ inches wide and 2 ½ inches high with a red indicator lamp on one end. The batteries have serial numbers that start with "DLG." A label with the serial number is on one side of the metal batteries and on the underside of the plastic batteries.
Incidents/Injuries: Pedego has received six reports of batteries overheating and catching fire, including one report of property damage. No injuries have been reported.
Sold at: Bicycle stores and electric bike retailers and online at http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com from January 2010 through September 2013. The batteries were sold separately for about $600 to $900 and on electric bicycles that sold for between $2,000 and $3,000.
Manufacturer/Importer/Distributor: Pedego Inc., of Irvine, Calif.
Manufactured in: China.

wow, does anyone have access to these battery packs that are being recalled? if they recall 2-3k packs then there will be a huge pile of cans available to build batteries from.

does anyone know people inside pedego who could make a deal on recycling these battery packs?

it would cost money to buy them for recycling and you would need to return the pedego cases or whatever that would tie pedego to the recycled cells and sign complete and financially warranted release for them also.

but they could sell them for 5 cents/kWh or maybe even less.

so this would solve a lot of the problems people have with building cheap packs. no need to recycle laptop cans.

Another battery recall?? Geez, didn't they have one last year too?

Ouch! Pedego. So we know the eBike retailers are finding their cost point by cheaping out on the battery. People see the bike and judge quality. Then can ride it and feel the power of the motor, so again an easy sell. But the battery is under wraps and esoteric. There won't be any question. Turn it on and it goes. And no problem until you need to replace it after 500 cycles, going back for more of the same, at still more profit. Until the battery catches fire (usually on charging, at home) and burns your house down. Good reason to save all receipts, warranty information etc through scan to digital and on the cloud. So when everything else is burnt to a crisp, you can document your purchase and file a lawsuit for replacement value of everything lost.

you don't know that it has anything to do with cheap. usually recalls are done because there are claims made against them and the lawyers point out how much risk they have if some simple problem leads to a catastrophic loss. like burning down a 75 unit apartment building. so just recall the risky ones and replace with another version.

it may be possible to purchase the cans, but not the pedego battery cases or any thing tied to them and someone would have to be warranted and also provide them with sufficient legal protection if they sold them off to be recycled by reuse in other batteries.

this is what i expect will happen with all of these guys building big batteries with the HK lipo packs. they will come home and find their apartment building burned to the ground and the police looking for them.

this is why i think the insurance companies will make it illegal to carry an ebike inside your house or apartment, because of this careless attitude about the risk of fires caused by shorts. all people talk about is spontaneous explosions and not the real danger of shorts caused by the major conductors shorting when the bike falls over inside the apartment onto the mattress or plush sofa or chair with tons of plastic fiber stuffing to get the fire started big time.

dnmun said:

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this is why i think the insurance companies will make it illegal to carry an ebike inside your house or apartment, because of this careless attitude about the risk of fires caused by shorts. .

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You could always leave the bike out and just take the pack inside ! :lol:
Why didn't they react like that when all those Dell laptops started shooting flames a few years back ?
They would have to somehow ban all battery powered devices from inside houses or appartments..
...a bit of a problem for all those cordless vacuum cleaners, laptops, cordless drills, etc etc ?

i did have a tenant catch my house on fire charging a laptop so i think i understand what i am talking about. when you have a similar experience then try attacking me then. otherwise..zipo

It was a serious question !....based on facts
rather than snap back .....Care to try and think of an answer as to how they can differentiate between an Ebike pack, and a vac cleaner or lap top pack ?

no, i have no interest in having a conversation with you at all. go pick on somebody close to you like your wife or kids. go kick them around for a spell because i could not care what your opinion is.

have serial numbers that start with "DLG."

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hmmm manufactured by DLG?

The reason these batteries were recalled is because of thermal limitations of the battery and insulation materials being exceeded.
When the packs were new, there was very little thermal overhead to begin with. The batteries were being ran at their maximum C rate all too often. As the cell aged, the IR increase would take them over the edge for heat. Go ride the bike on a hot day up a hill and see what happens.. Insulation would begin to melt. As the pack aged, this would get worse and worse.

My guess: pedego probably knew that more fires would occur over time as the batteries aged. A huge recall was most likely necessary to avoid the company's reputation from being destroyed.

I am not at liberty to tell you why i know this, nor do i have any business affiliation with any company involved.