Spokesafe is committed to a future where vehicles such as eScooters, eBikes & eCargo bikes are the default mode of transport for communities in urban areas. However, we are also aware that the batteries that power these vehicles need to be looked after correctly, as recent media attention into lithium ion battery fires has shown.
While it is worth highlighting these fires are a fractional percentage of the total number of electric vehicle batteries in use, Spokesafe operate a electric vehicle battery charging policy which protects both individuals, vehicles and our stakeholders locations from fire risk in the following ways:
Vehicles where the battery has been connected to the vehicle by the manufacturer are permitted. If a battery has been connected to the vehicle by an individual at a later date, this vehicle is not permitted to charge at a Spokesafe unit. This means if you have connected a battery to your push bicycle, or have tampered, altered or adjusted a battery, you will not be allowed to charge on our network.
If you have used a conversion kit, such as Swytch, to turn your vehicle electric, please get in contact with us at hello@spokesafe.com and we will make a decision on a case by case basis. Spokesafe reserves the right to retrospectively ask you to remove your vehicle should we deem it a risk in the future.
All individuals who want to charge will have to add your bike information to your profile (Menu -> My Profile -> Bike Profiles). We may additionally ask for your specific battery information to. It is your responsibility to make sure any information sent across to our team is accurate and kept up to date.
If a location has numbered charging points, you must only charge at your numbered charging point. If you find another device charged there, please get in contact with us immediately at hello@spokesafe.com.
Spokesafe and/or our partners staff members carry out regular inspections across the network and will immediately confiscate any batteries which are either not compliant or not charged at the correct charging point. Spokesafe staff will also confiscate any batteries which are not found in the database above.
Only 1 battery can be charged per socket. No extension leads are allowed (these will be confiscated during inspections).
Power is turned off automatically via a timer between 12am-6am to stop batteries charging continuously & heating up. You will not be able to charge your battery, or any other equipment during this period.
Spokesafe is also working with our partners to invest in fire-safe lockers where batteries can be charged where appropriate.
Finally, if you want to charge your battery while in a Spokesafe unit then you, as the owner of the equipment, are responsible for it. You must be maintain and monitor your battery, and ensure the safety of both yourself and others.
Below is an example of several eBikes which are allowed to charge such as Zoomo eBikes, Cowboy eBikes, Raleigh eCargo bikes, or a Brompton using a Swytch conversion kit. These are battery systems which have been tested and safety checked during the manufacturing process. In cases such as Swytch, these systems have also been significantly tested alongside the vehicles and significantly less of a risk than the vehicles below.
Below is an example of several bikes which are not allowed to charge. These were manufactured as push bikes, and have had a battery attached to them at a later date. These batteries, which may have been bought secondhand and may have not been appropriately safety tested with the vehicle, are more likely to not be EN15194 compliant and therefore pose a higher risk.
Spokesafe reserves the right to update this policy without warning as industry guidelines evolve.