A man used 80 discarded vape batteries to power his e-scooter to make a point about the wasteful nature of the disposable products. Tobiasz Stanford, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, says he wired the lithium-ion batteries up to a scooter he bought for £30 on eBay.
The scooter is now fully functioning and “very reliable”, said Tobiasz. “The amount of vapes I see on the street is really upsetting. These vape batteries have the potential to power a scooter. They’re very active still yet they’re marketed as disposable. It needs to stop.”
Tobiasz discovered vapes used a lithium-ion battery after taking several apart. He began recharging the batteries and found after one cycle they could function “almost like a brand new battery,” according to media reports.
Tobiasz says manufacturers and vape consumers need to think about e-waste with greater importance. “The amount of vapes I see on the street or in ponds – which have the potential to power a scooter – is so bad. They’re very active still. When those chemicals break down lithium will start to spill out,” he explains. “The consequences of that will be ridiculous. It will happen over time. We need to do what we can to stop this from happening and that includes banning disposable vapes.”