Komaki introduces new fireproof batteries after ‘incidents’

Divyansh Mehta — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 18:45:26 +0000

Recently, electric two-wheelers have attracted attention for both good and bad reasons. Although electric vehicle adoption in the nation has been hampered by a significant problem, battery-powered vehicles have been at the forefront of the EV revolution. This is clearly related to the recent fire accidents involving electric scooters of different brands. Now, Komaki, an EV company with operations in India, appears to have the answer to this important problem.

This week, Komaki introduced new fireproof batteries in India as part of the solution. Beginning next month, these will be utilized in all of the company’s electric vehicles. For those who don’t know, Komaki offers a variety of electric scooters along with a few electric motorcycles in India.

The new Komaki batteries make use of the popular lithium-ion batteries, but they have a unique twist. Additionally, it has created a simple smartphone application to track battery health. The application will alert end users and dealers about the battery’s condition at any time while in use.

According to a statement from Komaki, its new EV batteries feature a configuration of lithium-ion phosphate (LiFePO4). These batteries are inherently more fire-resistant than the typical electric two-wheeler batteries. The LiFePO4 batteries’ cells’ iron content is to credit for the increased safety. The manufacturer asserts that even in dire circumstances, the batteries are more fire-proof than the competition.

Komaki also plans to reduce the number of cells in the battery pack by one-third in order to address the issue of fires. Fewer cells will result in less heat buildup inside the battery pack. As a result, Komaki asserts that its LiFePO4 batteries have a greater life cycle of 2500–3000 compared to the NMC (nickel, manganese, and cobalt) batteries’ 800 life cycle.

The fewer parts will also make it easier for original equipment makers, or OEMs, to fix the batteries in one place. This should lessen the possibility of battery damage during transit to and from repair facilities. In addition, the battery cells are balanced every few seconds by the innovative active balancing mechanism. The application will be able to analyze 250 batteries in real-time, according to business executives.

(SOURCE: Komaki, Facebook)

If the company’s data is to be believed, the LiFePO4 battery can go more than 300 miles on a single charge. Given what the competition now delivers, 180 kilometers on a charge for the Komaki SE and TN95 should be adequate even in real-world performance. But it’s still unclear how well the new Komaki batteries will actually function.

E-bike showroom burnt down in Pune

Divyansh Mehta — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 12:06:13 +0000

On Monday night, while being charged, several electric vehicles parked inside an e-bike showroom in Pune, Maharashtra, caught fire. Seven electric bikes in all were destroyed in the fire, according to reports on the incident. Remarkably, no casualties were reported during the incident. The fire may have been started by overcharging the EVs, according to the emergency response team’s preliminary examination.

(SOURCE: mysmartprice)

The fire incident happened at an e-bike showroom in Market Yard, Pune. On Monday, at about 8 o’clock, reports of a fire that had begun in the shop resulted in a call to the fire department. According to some unconfirmed accounts, the fire started in a Komaki India dealership that featured electric scooters and bikes.

According to the hints given thus far, there were a handful of electric bikes stored in the showroom while they were charging. The bikes were designed to recharge their batteries after being plugged in overnight. One of these vehicles may have experienced a short circuit as a result of overcharging, which ultimately resulted in the hazardous fire outbreak. Please take note that a thorough investigation of the incident must be completed before it is possible to determine the precise cause of the fire.

Four fire tenders were used by the emergency team to put out the fire after they arrived. When the situation was finally under control, the showroom’s electric bike display had burned to the ground. Fortunately, no one was hurt or reported to have died as a result of the incident.

Can you overcharge your EV?

The short answer to this issue is No – you cannot overload your EV, even if you keep it plugged in all night. This is especially true if you equate the word “EV” with models like Tesla automobiles and other high-end electric vehicles. When the battery capacity of these electric vehicles reaches 100% while they are being charged, the battery management systems, or BMS, in these cars have the capability of stopping the current flow.

Having said that, it’s possible that the checks used in smaller, less expensive EVs are not infallible. Even after the battery of the EV has been fully charged, electrons will still continue to flow into the battery pack until the vehicle is plugged in. If this were the case, the battery would eventually overheat, get damaged, and possibly catch fire.

Speculatively, this could be the cause of the fire that started on Monday in Pune. However, there are other potential causes as well, and the precise one can only be foreseen after a thorough analysis of the incident. It would be unjust to attribute the fire up until that point to EV overcharging because an EV’s BMS practically guarantees that it won’t happen.

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Komaki introduces new fireproof batteries after ‘incidents’

E-bike showroom burnt down in Pune

Can you overcharge your EV?