UL Solutions Takes Aim at Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Risks with Innovative New Certification Programs for Battery Containment Enclosures and Micromobility Charging Equipment

Published: 2025-06-19 00:20:27 ET ULS

Published on 06/19/2025 at 00:20

UL Solutions announced its new testing and certification program for battery containment enclosures, including the battery charging or storage cabinets that are becoming more common on city sidewalks and in apartment buildings to address growing concerns around hazards of lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes. UL Solutions' new battery containment enclosure and micromobility charging equipment certification programs help address growing concerns and incidents around lithium-ion battery safety risks and thermal runaway events. Safety-certified battery containment enclosures are growing in popularity for use with e-bikes and othermicromobility products, and are supported by fire departments, including the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), for their ability to contain fire and other hazards associated with thermal runaway.

UL Solutions also launched services for micromobility charging equipment that can further help mitigate safety risks. Battery containment enclosures often resemble cabinets and are designed with safety features to contain battery thermal runaway fires and gases. They can be used to store and charge batteries, such as e-bike or power tool batteries, and help protect people around them if a thermal runaway event or battery fire occurs despite following proper battery maintenance and usage instructions from the manufacturer.

These tests evaluate a battery containment enclosure's ability to withstand battery thermal runaway events, including fire, explosion and shrapnel. Thermal runaway occurs when the lithium-ion battery enters an uncontrollable self-heating state that can produce fire, flammable and toxic smoke, and extremely high temperatures while ejecting harmful particulates. UL Solutions evaluates and tests micromobility charging equipment per UL 4900, the Standard for Micromobility Charging Equipment, which is also a binational Standard for the United States and Canada.

This Standard addresses the electric shock and fire risks of the charging infrastructure.