Just days after Beijing proposed new rules that would ensure the safe charging of electric vehicles, a fire at a local electric bicycle stop killed four people.
The fire engulfed a three-story Zhongguancun building above an e-bike store in the early hours of Sunday morning (see video below), claiming four fatalities before it was extinguished by firefighters half an hour later at around 2am.
Though the official cause of the Zhongguancun blaze is still under investigation, firefighters said fires caused by electric bikes are usually caused by aged power cords, shortcircuiting batteries, mismatched third-party battery chargers, and overcharging.
The fatal incident comes after the 29th session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress when lawmakers proposed sweeping changes in regulating Beijing's non-automotive vehicles.
The proposal would create special electric charging areas that would eliminate the common practice of parking e-bikes in residential areas like hallway corridors where they are charged directly from a home electrical socket.
This part of the proposal has already been initiated in Beijing's Shijingshan District where local authorities have allocated RMB 10 million to build 3,000 charging stations throughout 308 of its neighborhoods. The charging facilities would be located in garages (shown above) where residents can pay to charge their e-bikes using cash, mobile wallet, or a transport card (shown below).
Under the new proposals, e-bikes that don't meet national safety regulations will be banned from use within three years. The new rules will also completely ban hoverboards and Segueway scooters from all city streets after receiving a conditional ban back in 2016.
Images: ChinaDaily.com.cn, Weibo.com
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