Your electrical devices bursting into a fireball is uncommon but not unheard of. I mean, remember the global recall of Samsung Note 7?

The issue had stemmed from defective batteries within the smartphones.

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Defective Samsung phones aside, another common device that breaks out into a fire from time to time in Singapore are Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs).

Like what happened in Punggol yesterday.

E-Scooter in Punggol Burst into Fire

Yesterday (25 September 2018), a PMD at Blk 326C Sumang Walk in Punggol caught fire in the morning. Smoke could be seen coming out of a unit on the fourth floor when the SCDF arrived.

The PMD was left charging in the kitchen, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), when it lit on fire.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported and the fire was quickly extinguished. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

But it was revealed that the fire could’ve been caused by the battery pack of the PMD.

Number of Incidents Increasing Year By Year

Since 2016, there were more than 80 fire incidents with motorised PMDs. That’s a lot, by the way.

And the incidents happened typically when the devices are charging.

Which is why the SCDF would like to ask the public to take note of the following:

• Don’t leave your device to charge overnight
• Place on hard flat surfaces for optimal dissipation of heat
• Don’t place the device near flammable materials or along a fire-escape route when charging
• Examine your battery to see if it’s bloated, corroded or powdery

New Fire Safety Standards To Be Implemented By 2021

Due to the increasing number of exploding PMDs, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) decided that something had to be done about it.

The LTA is looking into making PMDs safer for everybody by making the UL2272 safety standard a requirement in all motorised PMDs from Jan 2021.

Retailers are required to stop selling non-compliant motorised PMDs from Jul next year.

Users of non-compliant PMDs, however, are allowed to continue using them until the end of 2020.

The Ministry of Transport urges the public to get the UL2272-compliant devices as soon as possible.

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The New Fire Safety Standard Will Outlaw 90% Of Current PMDs in S’pore

Most PMDs sold in Singapore were made in China, and the UL2272 safety standard is an independent US certification company.

Which means you’re not allowed to sell most, if not all, of your PMDs in Singapore. Devices that you’ve spent money getting into Singapore.

And while there’s still time to sell the PMDs before Jul 2019, who’s going to buy PMDs that’ll “expire” in 2 years?

The companies have to get their PMDs certified before business can continue as usual.

With the impending new ruling, one e-scooter model stood out: the Segway Ninebot ES2. It meets the legal requirement and retails at about $670 to $799, though it’s, of course, sold out.

More models that meet the requirement might come in soon, but they could cost more as getting a model to be UL2272-certified cost about $50,000 to $100,000: just imagine how many e-scooters they need to sell to cover the cost.

No doubt these costs would be passed down to the consumers, which means it’s going to get more expensive.

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