Brisbane news live: How e-bike battery fires are starting
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7.21am
How e-bike battery fires are starting
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E-scooter battery fires have been sparked by people using incorrect chargers supplying too much voltage or overcharging due to being plugged in for too long, Queensland Fire Department state fire investigation unit Inspector Darren Mallouk says.
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'But also we're seeing quite a few home DIY modifications occurring,' he said.
'There's also a big second-hand market for these things now … so you don't know the history of the device you're purchasing, and you don't know what abuse that battery has seen.'
But state fire safety section Superintendent Mark Halverson said high quality e-bikes and scooters generally had an inbuilt battery management system.
'That's a large problem where the low-quality products don't have that system to cut the charge off when they are fully charged,' he said.
Mallouk said most fire issues were with privately bought rather than hired devices.
In 2024/25 there were 94 fires due to e-scooter and e-bike battery fires.
7.17am
The weather this Wednesday
Will it rain in Brisbane today? The Bureau of Meteorology says the chance of precipitation is at 95 per cent, so we'll take that as a recommendation to have your umbrella with you.
7.16am
While you were sleeping
Here's what's making news further afield this morning:
Ozzy Osbourne, the gloomy lead singer of the pioneering band Black Sabbath who became the throaty, growling voice of heavy metal, has died, weeks after his farewell show. He was 76.
Closer to home, here's what the average person with $3 million in super looks like. The average wage-earner who would be hit by Labor's superannuation tax changes is an older man pulling in more than $240,000 a year and living in a major city.
In her maiden speech to parliament, Ali France, the Labor MP who defeated Peter Dutton, has told of the heartbreaking final days she shared with her 19-year-old son, Henry, before his death last year.
Virgin Australia says it is rethinking its policy on passengers taking power packs, used for charging mobile phones, as carry-on items after a fire on a Sydney-to-Hobart flight.
The man leading Donald Trump's push to build more ships and submarines is a critic of Australia who has questioned whether Canberra can be trusted to stick with the AUKUS agreement, and whether it is ready to help the US take on China.
A Texas father who moved his family to Russia to escape 'woke' America has been sent to the front line in Ukraine.
And superstar troubadour Ed Sheeran has announced the dates for next year's Loop Tour, in which he will play a number of stadium shows around the country, including Brisbane.
6.45am
The top stories this morning
Good morning, and welcome to Brisbane Times' live news coverage for Wednesday, July 23. Today should bring showers, with a top temperature of 22 degrees.
In this morning's local headlines:
Exactly seven years before the Brisbane 2032 cauldron is lit, the state government is confident it will be able to handle an expected Games-inspired spike in sports participation.
Also on the Olympics, the Brisbane 2032 Olympics will deliver a 20-year $70.7 billion windfall to Australia, Deloitte has claimed – but only if the Games act as a catalyst for economic reform.
Home-school parents have had their calls for a system overhaul answered after the state accepted all eight recommendations of an independent report into the sector.
In sport, after helping the Maroons to a stunning series win, 32-year-old Kurt Mann is on track to realise another childhood dream, by becoming the oldest player to debut for the Kangaroos.
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