DANGERS OF ELECTRIC SCOOTERS

[Anchor Lead]

Electric scooters are widespread in Korea. In Seoul alone, the number of public electric scooters has surpassed 50000 this year. But extra caution is required as these personal mobility devices powered by large lithium batteries easily catch fires.

[Pkg]

An electric scooter parked in the hallway catches on fire and explodes. Moments later, the hallway becomes filled with smoke. As more and more people use this personal mobility device these days, fires involving e-scooters are also on the rise. Since 2019 a total of 70 blazes involving e-scooters have occurred in Seoul 26 of them occurred between January and July this year. This is more than twice the number of fires reported during the same period last year. Nearly half of the fires took place in residential buildings, while some occurred in schools. The main cause is in the lithium batteries, which power the electric scooters. The batteries’ protection circuit is relatively easily damaged while it's being used. Located right underneath the kickstand, the battery is easily prone to damage, which in many cases result in fires. During an experiment of overcharging a battery with a damaged circuit, the battery exploded and quickly caught on fire.

[Soundbite] Jin Yong-ki(Seoul Metropolitan Government) : "Lithium batteries are combustibles. When electric scooters catch fires while which can result in fatalities and injuries."

Users are advised to use the right chargers and avoid charging their scooters during nighttime or when leaving their homes for a long time. Also, electric scooters should be charged in open spaces outdoors rather than near entrances or emergency exits. In Seoul, some 54,000 public electric scooters are currently in operation.