electronic cigarette charger exploded inside a car

[EricDykstra]

An electronic cigarette charger exploded inside a car Wednesday afternoon that caught the backseat on fire.
The owner of the vehicle left the electronic cigarette charger plugged in and unattended when the lithium battery appears to have exploded, according to the Glendale Fire Department...





Anyone recognize the brand?

source: www. kpho .com/story/22066822/unattended-electronic-cigarette-charger-explodes-car-catches-fire
Unattended electronic cigarette charger explodes, car catches fi - CBS 5 - KPHO

 

[volume control]

I wish we knew what kind of batts they were in these cases. Us ecig users charge batteries a LOT lol. It looks like an ego of some sort in the picture but i doubt thats the one that blew up since it looks fine


edit: and whos car doesnt shut off the lighter outlets when the engine is off?

 

[Iffy]

Definitely an eGo/clone batt. Never saw an adapter like that one!

 

[ch2468]

Definitely an eGo/clone batt. Never saw an adapter like that one!

It's a USB charger plugged into a 12v car USB adapter.

 

[HK-47]

Statement: This is just a gut suspicion, but that doesn't look like something manufactured by a company.

The cig appears to be an eGo style or a clone. I haven't personally seen any eGo chargers (or those that fit an eGo) that connect directly onto the battery and plug right into a USB connection. There are several cig-a-like chargers that do that though, it seems likely the owner was using a charger for a cigalike brand (can't really make out the logo on it) or a USB charger connection for something else that fits the eGo, then has it plugged into a USB car charger.

A bad recipe for disaster, as that could have caused an explosion at any time. It is never wise to use another style of charger than the manufacturer's one unless ALL the statistics match up (amperage, voltage, charge ratio, etc).

eGo's require (if memory serves) a charger that provides 420-450 milliamps. That looks more like a charger for a cigalike than an eGo, and most of those require a lot less. My Halo G6 for instance provides 5V and 150 mA to the battery. A low amperage rating can very easily cause a reaction in a battery that could cause it to vent.

Stupidity was at fault here, not the ecig. Unfortunately we can't fix stupid.

Learn from this folks, charge your batts in a safe fashion using approved devices for charging the style of batteries you are using. Do not buy cheap knock-off batteries, and don't be doing your own modifying without appropriate electronic and electrical skills. It's not worth saving a few bucks to have something explode or vent, and either hurt you or burn down your house/car.

Safe charging methods:
1) Use approved chargers for your device/battery.
2) NEVER leave batteries charging unattended, or while you are sleeping.
3) Use a 'safe charging bag' available from many vendors.
4) Use battery cases to store batteries when they are not in use to prevent damage and/or contact to batteries.

 

[zenoland]

Looks like it blew out the back of the battery which would explain how it flew to the back seat of the car.

 

[oldbikeguy]

HK-47 hit the nail on the head with that reply!

 

[Orobas]

It looks like he tried to plug an ego or kgo into a 510 for a cigalike.

Also a quick google search tells me the high today in glendale AZ was 91 degrees.

Leaving any battery in a car on a day that hot is a potential fire hazard.

 

[EricDykstra]

I wish we knew what kind of batts they were in these cases. Us ecig users charge batteries a LOT lol. It looks like an ego of some sort in the picture but i doubt thats the one that blew up since it looks fine


edit: and whos car doesnt shut off the lighter outlets when the engine is off?

Or who leaves the car running to charge their ecig!

 

[volume control]

I see the damage now actually, thats not an ego charger lol. Sigh

 

[HK-47]

Statement: In the news-related cases where a battery failure was involved, every single time someone was doing something they weren't supposed to be doing.

We, as vapers, need to start sending information to news networks that we see reporting about explosions, vents, or fires when we see things being done that show the cause of that was improper use of batteries, chargers, or ecigs themselves. Not the fault of the ecig, but user error. Same thing as 'accidental gun deaths.'

People are going to be stupid, but we need to educate not only vapers about proper use, but the media and the public as well to distance ourselves from this and show that it was someone doing something they weren't supposed to be doing to help alleviate irrational fears about the safety of ecig usage.

 

[Centurion]

That "charger" is so tiny. Looks like the battery was plugged into a cigarette>USB adapter through a USB>eGo power converter. Looks like. If there was nothing to stop that battery from charging or slow the rate after it topped out, I think I can see how this happened.

 

[Ryedan]

The Glendale Fire Department encourages you to never leave any electronics unattended in the vehicles while they are charging.

Hmm, the first thing I thought when reading this was so it's OK to leave them unattended at home?! I think the Glendale Fire Department missed an opportunity to educate the public a bit more than they did. There is a definite need for this. Way too many people just don't know any better.

 

[Iffy]

It's a USB charger plugged into a 12v car USB adapter.

I should have said an eGo adapter.

 

[sonicdsl]

Moved to Media & General News

-------
NOTE: Please do not post live links to junk science stories or negative stories. You can paste the link, but break it with a space on either side of the domain name, as I've done in the OP.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...g-links-junk-science-other-rubbish-posts.html

ALSO: For copyright reasons, please don't post the entire text of an article in a post, only the first line or two, then a link to that article.


Thanks!

 

[Gloria]

Thanks for posting this Eric. We can never have enough reminders about battery safety issues and using the right charger. Too bad this got moved to where few will see it.

Thankfully nobody was in the back seat when this happened.

It can happen with cell phones too. Wireless Communications – Battery University

 

[EricDykstra]

Found some additional info. They claim they were at the doctor's for a couple of hours, and it is an ego-t.

 

[Hello World]

Statement: In the news-related cases where a battery failure was involved, every single time someone was doing something they weren't supposed to be doing.

That's been my take of it too.

In all my life I have never had any issues with batteries or chargers. It's always someone doing something contrary to the advices, recommendations and warnings of the manufacturer.

 

[zoiDman]

I wish we knew what kind of batts they were in these cases. Us ecig users charge batteries a LOT lol. It looks like an ego of some sort in the picture but i doubt thats the one that blew up since it looks fine


edit: and whos car doesnt shut off the lighter outlets when the engine is off?

My Honda Element's outlets stayed on when the engine was off.

 

[turbospirites]

Thanks for posting this Eric. We can never have enough reminders about battery safety issues and using the right charger. Too bad this got moved to where few will see it.

Thankfully nobody was in the back seat when this happened. View attachment 202928

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yea I saw that report to

www. fox19 .com/story/22071692/lighting-up-e-cigarette-charger-sparks-car-fire-in-az?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Buffer:%2BFOX19%2Bon%2Bfacebook&buffer_share=07e4e

Lighting up: E-cigarette charger sparks car fire in AZ - FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather & Sports