March 2025 Newsletter

We’ve Been Parked, Now We’re Ready to Roll again with Bikeep Newsletter

After some silence we are starting with the Bikeep newsletter series again! As the spring is approaching and cyclist are taking their bikes out, we are blowing off the dust on the Bikeep newsletter series.

In this newsletter we focus on the charging infrastructure for Light Electric Vehicles and how Bikeep helps:

• Use case of a month: Ronald Reagan National Airport success case with Bikeep powered micromobility parking
• Bikeep docked based e-scooter charging & parking stations.
• Global trend of LEV (Light Electric Vehicle) battery fires

Bikeep use case of the month: Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington, DC

Problem we are solving:

More and more employees are using e-scooters and e-bikes to commute to work. Therefore they are charging these vehicles in the airport facilities. This is a potential fire hazard, hence the charging is not regulated and no control over the chargers that are in use.

Solution:

Bikeep has deployed a full range of micromobility parking products to the airport premises: Bikeep stations for e-bikes and e-scooters that are equipped with charging capabilities, and also bike lockers that are powered by Bikeep IoT and equipped with charging sockets.

Additional benefit achieved:

Thanks to the parking facilities, there is now an increased number of passengers now who cycle to the airport. For a few short day trips where a passenger is only carrying a backpack, a bike is an ideal way to get into or out of the airport. Ronald Reagan National Airport is connected with the Mt Vernon Trail cycleway, which makes it an easy commute for many cyclists in the area.

The system got more than 5000 parking sessions within the first 6 months, which is an amazing result, keeping in mind that the first few months were still about spreading the word about the new system and teaching people how to use it. Also to convince them that yes, it is actually free of charge 🙂

VIDEO story by Natalie Compton on her first try of the system.

🔨 Bikeep Product Updates 🔨

Bikeep is rolling out docked-based stations for E-scooter charging and secure parking.

As personal e-scooter usage continues to surge, the demand for secure parking and charging solutions is higher than ever. Facility managers, much like those in airports and other high-traffic areas, recognize the urgent need to adapt.

To meet this demand, we have enhanced the Bikeep E-Bike Charging Station with a swappable locking bar, allowing seamless conversion between e-bike and e-scooter charging. This innovation ensures that e-scooters can be securely locked and charged simultaneously. The charging unit itself is protected from theft and harsh weather conditions, ensuring durability and reliability.

This upgrade provides property managers with unparalleled flexibility—by simply swapping the locking bar, they can adapt their charging infrastructure to support both e-bikes and e-scooters, futureproofing their investment in sustainable urban mobility.

🌏 Global Micro-mobility News 🌏

Battery Fires in E-Scooters and LEVs (Light Electric Vehicles)

Surging Frequency of Battery-Related Fires: Across North America and Europe, cities have reported a sharp rise in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters, e-bikes, and similar LEVs. These fires often result from thermal runaway in damaged or improperly charged batteries

• New York City (USA): FDNY data shows lithium battery fires jumped from 44 in 2020 to 216 in 2022 (Link)
• London (UK): London Fire Brigade calls e‑bike/e‑scooter fires the city’s fastest-growing fire trend. By 2023 they were responding to about one fire every two days, with 143 e-bike and 36 e-scooter blazes that year. (Link)
• Other Regions: Similar patterns are seen elsewhere. Toronto, Canada logged 55 battery fires in 2023 – a 90% increase from the previous year. (Link)

Common Causes: Investigations point to battery damage, use of non-compatible or counterfeit chargers, overcharging, and aftermarket modifications as leading causes of these fires. A UK analysis found 91% of e-bike/e-scooter fires start in the battery pack (Link)

Recent incidents have shown how destructive fires caused by lithium-ion battery charging can be. While Bikeep systems do not prevent these incidents, they help control where they occur. By providing designated outdoor spaces for light electric vehicle (LEV) charging, property owners can ensure that, if a fire does happen, it remains outside — keeping indoor spaces safe and reducing potential damage.

If you wish to bring smart bike parking & charging infrastructure to your city then contact us today to inquire how we can parter up – info@bikeep.com

Ride On!