Lithium Battery Fires: Why Recycling Trucks Are Burning and What Manufacturers Can Do About It.

A few months ago, our LinkedIn post about a lithium battery fire that destroyed a £250,000 refuse vehicle in North Warwickshire reached 23,000+ impressions in just two days and sparked a huge response. The comments made one thing clear: this issue matters, and people want answers.Because battery manufacturing and design are among Ardencraft Technology’s core areas of expertise, we reached out to Mike Brown, Interim Director of Operations at North Warwickshire Borough Council, to go beyond the headlines and explore what is really happening on the ground. In this episode, we unpack why these fires are rising, what manufacturers, engineers, and councils can do differently, and where product design, labelling, and end-of-life responsibility need to improve.