An electric bin lorry burst into flames this morning, forcing multiple London roads to close. The Telegraph has the story.
Specialist crews were deployed to the fire after the £580,000 electric lorry caught alight in the morning.
The lithium battery-powered trucks were recently launched under Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, as part of a green initiative to reduce carbon emissions in the capital.
Oxford Street and Duke Street were closed following the incident as firefighting operations and investigations continued.
Photographs show smoke rising from the stationary lorry, with rubbish and other shrapnel surrounding the vehicle. Firefighters are seen trying to put out the flames.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) sent three teams from Paddington and a specialist Fire Rescue Unit (FRU) to the incident to deal with the risks posed by the electric vehicle such as potential reignition and toxic fumes. … All occupants of the truck escaped without injury. …
It comes as the number of e-bike battery fires has risen by 70% in a year across the country. In 2022, there were 158 fires linked to electric bikes – a number that had risen to 270 in 2023.
The U.K.’s 49 fire and rescue services attended 46% more fires linked to lithium-ion batteries for all devices and appliances in 2023 than 2022, according to research collated through Freedom of Information requests by insurer QBE.
Worth reading in full.
Update: A spokesman for Westminster City Council has said the fire occurred in the collected waste and not the battery:
We can confirm that a waste fire took place early that ignited in the body of one of our electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (eRCVs). This was completely unrelated to the battery in the chassis of the eRCV and was most likely caused by a flammable item amongst the collected waste materials. Thankfully, nobody was injured but we strongly ask residents and businesses to correctly dispose of their waste to prevent something like this happening again.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.