EQUINOX-HP E-Bike Shelter Fire Suppression
TESTED. CERTIFIED. BUILT FOR LITHIUM-ION.
A breakthrough high-pressure water mist and Cold Fire system specifically engineered for enclosed e-bike and e-scooter shelters — delivering rapid suppression, thermal containment, and cell-to-cell propagation prevention, independently tested and certified by Applus+ Laboratories.
THE RISK
Lithium-Ion Risk in Enclosed Shelters
The concentrated energy density within LiFePO4 and NMC batteries presents a unique hazard in enclosed e-bike shelters. When a cell fails, it can enter thermal runaway — a self-sustaining chemical reaction resulting in rapid off-gassing, toxic smoke, and intense jet flames. In confined, ventilated bike stores, these events escalate quickly through cell-to-cell propagation, creating extreme heat radiation and fire spread that conventional suppression systems cannot effectively manage.
In a single week in London, three severe e-bike fires gutted homes in separate incidents. The London Fire Brigade has issued repeated urgent safety warnings about the catastrophic consequences of lithium-ion battery failures in residential and communal environments.
COMPLIANCE & AUTHORITY
Engineered for Authority Approval & Insurability
Building control, inspecting authorities, insurers, property managers, health & safety inspectors, and fire risk assessors now have a viable solution with EQUINOX-HP protected bike shelters to prevent e-bike fires in buildings and wild fire vulnerable environments.
Independently tested and certified by Applus, our fluorine-free systems are available internationally, providing duty holders with complete peace of mind in high-risk locations.
THE SOLUTION
The P4BF — Parking For Bikes Fire-Safe
Developed by Idderman, Equipro, and Engineered Fire Piping — the P4BF is a state-of-the-art communal e-bike and e-scooter shelter with the EQUINOX-HP fire suppression system fully integrated at the point of manufacture. It is the only certified communal bike shelter in the world proven to contain, suppress, and prevent propagation of a lithium-ion battery thermal runaway event.
The P4BF makes it possible to install e-bike shelters safely inside buildings, in underground car parks, in high-footfall public spaces, and in remote locations where fire propagation is a critical consideration. Facility managers, property developers, and duty holders now have a certified solution that satisfies insurance requirements and fire consultant specifications.
Equipro can supply P4BF and retrofit EQUINOX to any existing e-bike shelter.
Suppression Agent
EQUINOX-HP high-pressure water mist with Cold Fire at 3% concentration. PFAS-free, non-toxic, biodegradable. Rapid heat extraction and vapour encapsulation. Electrically non-conductive.
Hardware Specification
EQUINOX high-pressure mist nozzle. Two 80-litre water cylinders + Cold Fire at 3%. One 80-litre nitrogen cylinder at 100 bar. EquiPass linear heat detector. Automatic activation at 57°C (nozzle bulb) or 140°C (linear detector). 38-minute sustained discharge runtime.
Certified Performance
Applus+ Report 25/32303542. LiFePO4 battery, 860 Wh. Zero fire spread between bikes. Hangar structure intact. Peak radiation below 2.5 kW/m² at 2 metres. Zero re-ignition.
Applus+ Laboratories, June 2025.
Why Charging Inside Is No Longer Acceptable
E-bikes and e-scooters brought inside to charge in homes, flats, offices, and corridors are now one of the UK's fastest-growing fire risks.
When a lithium-ion battery fails, it does so without warning — thermal runaway develops in seconds, producing intense flames, toxic smoke, and temperatures exceeding 700°C.
In an indoor environment, that single battery failure becomes a source of ignition, rapid fire propagation, and whole-building escalation. Escape routes are blocked. Occupants are trapped. The consequences can be fatal.
The solution is separation. Storing and charging e-bikes in a purpose-built, certified shelter outside the building eliminates the indoor ignition risk entirely — and with the EQUINOX-HP P4BF system built in and independently tested and certified by Applus+ Laboratories, any thermal runaway event that does occur is automatically suppressed, contained, and prevented from spreading.
Safe active travel starts with safe storage.
The Hidden Hazard:
Vapour Cloud Formation After Suppression
When a lithium-ion battery undergoes thermal runaway, suppressing the flames is only half the problem.
As the battery continues to vent after a fire event, it releases highly flammable gases — hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic hydrocarbons — directly into the enclosed atmosphere of the shelter. If these gases accumulate to within their flammable limits before dispersing, they form a vapour cloud. In an enclosed structure such as an e-bike shelter, underground car park, or building corridor, this can happen rapidly and without any visible warning.
A single ignition source — a spark, a static discharge, or a first responder arriving with non-intrinsically-safe equipment — can detonate that vapour cloud with devastating force.
This is not a theoretical risk. Vapour cloud explosion is a well-documented consequence of enclosed lithium-ion thermal runaway events, and one that is completely absent from the risk assessments of facilities relying on conventional fire suppression alone.
When the flames go out, the danger isn't over. EQUINOX-HP is the only e-bike shelter suppression system engineered to address what comes next.
AFTER THE MAIN WATER & COLD FIRE MIST DISCHARGE STOPS, EQUINOX-HP CONTINUES TO DISCHARGE N2 GAS FOR ~90 MINUTES TO FLUSH THE ENCLOSURE OF FLAMMABLE GASES PREVENTING VAPOUR CLOUD EXPLOSION
EQUINOX-HP THERMAL RUNAWAY PROPAGATION PREVENTION SYSTEMS ARE DESIGNED TO PREVENT VAPOUR CLOUD EXPLOSIONS
COLD FIRE
The Cold Fire Advantage
Cold Fire is a PFAS-free, non-toxic organic agent engineered for rapid heat extraction and vapour encapsulation. It interrupts the chemical chain reaction of lithium-ion thermal runaway — providing superior cooling performance and significantly reducing clean-up requirements compared to traditional approaches.
HMIS Rating: 0 / 0 / 0 — Non-Toxic and PFAS-Free
ENQUIRY FORM
Discuss an E-Bike Shelter Project
We invite engineers, facility operators, and duty holders to discuss technical specifications and compliance requirements for high-risk lithium-ion storage.