by Erika Soliven
Summary
Why outdoor charging is the lower-risk default for most warehouses and last-mile depots
Where riders charge their e-bike battery determines your fire compartmentation burden, ventilation requirements, and insurance exposure.
Outdoor charging removes questions around fire compartmentation, ventilation, and insurance for most warehouses and depots.
When outdoor placement is not possible, sensor-monitored indoor charging with active suppression is the right alternative.
PGS 37-2 (in the Netherlands) only applies to sites holding more than 333 kg of lithium batteries simultaneously; most last-mile depots don't reach that threshold.
Tesla Berlin moved e-bike battery charging outdoors, removing unmanaged lithium battery risk from inside a €5+ billion production facility.
Where batteries charge is a fire safety decision
Riders who commute to your warehouse or depot on e-bikes need to detach their battery and carry it to a charging point. Where that point sits inside or outside the building determines your fire compartmentation burden, ventilation requirements, and insurance exposure.
E-bike fires in the UK doubled between 2022 and 2024, from 181 to 362 incidents, according to QBE Insurance's analysis of UK fire service records (March 2025) — part of a broader pattern of lithium-ion battery fire risk in commercial buildings that makes placement a practical question for any operator running e-bike commuter infrastructure.
The trade-offs: indoor vs outdoor charging in a warehouse or depot
The four variables that determine which option fits your site.
Indoor charging | Outdoor charging | |
|---|---|---|
Fire compartmentation | The charging area needs to be separated from occupied zones by fire-resistant construction. Retrofitting compartmentation into an existing warehouse layout can be costly depending on configuration. | The charging event sits outside the building. Compartmentation requirements do not apply to the charging point itself. |
Ventilation | Lithium-ion batteries can release flammable gases during charging. Adequate ventilation at room level requires engineering, not just an open window. | No ventilation burden inside the building. Outdoor units designed for e-bike charging manage gas dispersal passively. |
Egress routes | A charging area cannot be placed across an escape route. Dense depot layouts sometimes only surface this constraint when infrastructure is being positioned. | No impact on internal egress. |
Insurance exposure | Indoor charging near occupied areas, stock, or machinery raises the underwriter's site risk assessment. Some insurers issue formal conditions prohibiting indoor battery storage. | Outdoor, compartmentalised charging typically removes this exposure from the underwriter's assessment entirely. |
When PGS 37-2 applies to your site, and when it doesn't
Depot operators across Europe are increasingly asked by insurers, building managers, and safety consultants whether their battery charging setup meets regulatory requirements. In the Netherlands, the relevant framework is PGS 37-2, the Dutch regulation governing the safe storage and charging of lithium-bearing energy carriers. Most warehouse and depot operators assume it applies to them. For the majority, it does not.
PGS 37-2 applies to sites holding more than 333 kg of lithium batteries simultaneously. A standard removable e-bike battery weighs approximately 2.5–4 kg, so a depot would need over 80 batteries on site at the same time to approach that threshold — whether charging indoors, outdoors, or awaiting collection.
Most last-mile warehouses and depots charge individual rider batteries sequentially and do not come close. For those operators, PGS 37-2 does not apply. The practical question becomes: which managed charging infrastructure reduces fire risk most effectively within standard fire safety obligations.
Calculate your on-site battery mass, establish which framework applies, and choose infrastructure with a documented safety specification.
Both PowerShelter products carry independently verified fire safety certifications (including CE conformity to EN 14470:2023 for EU, UK, and Canada, and thermal runaway testing to VDMA 24994 methodology). For the full documentation, see PowerShelter certifications.
Why outdoor compartmentalised charging is the lower-risk default for most depots
The CoreShelter is designed for outdoor installation with no civil works required and no disruption to site operations during install. Each unit is rated to IP54 (protection against dust and water splashing from any direction) and built in stainless steel. Each compartment has passive propagation resistance: a thermal event in one compartment cannot spread to adjacent cells. Circuit breakers run from 16A to 100A per unit.
Three installations show how this plays out in practice:
Tesla Gigafactory Berlin had staff bringing personal e-bike batteries into the main facility and charging them at desks and along corridors, introducing unmanaged lithium battery risk into a controlled manufacturing environment. Four CoreShelter units installed at existing bike parking zones gave employees a safe, convenient place to charge outside the building instead.
Elsewhere, CoreShelter units were installed at DPD, Google and World Wide Technology — three distribution centre sites completed in two days.
Meanwhile, a Dutch campus operator avoided €60,000–€70,000 in construction costs by retrofitting two CoreShelter units to existing outdoor space — the same safety outcome for more than 80% less.
When indoor charging is the right call
Some sites cannot go outdoors: secure facilities with perimeter constraints, buildings where the site boundary prevents exterior placement, or operations where layout requires it.
For those situations, the SmartShelter is designed for both indoor and outdoor installation. Each compartment includes H₂, CO₂, and CO gas sensors that trigger automatic shut-off at threshold, and temperature sensors that cut power when heat exceeds safe limits — catching a developing situation before it becomes a thermal event. If a thermal event does occur, an independent fire-suppression system, cooling and extraction fans, and passive propagation resistance contain it within the compartment. Individually controlled compartment power and continuous monitoring give facilities managers visibility over what is charging and when — turning an unmanaged risk into a managed system.
PowerShelter makes outdoor and indoor e-bike battery charging lockers for depots, warehouses, and last-mile operations. Not sure which model fits your layout? Talk to our team.
FAQs
Is outdoor or indoor e-bike charging safer for a warehouse or depot?
Outdoor is the lower-risk default for most warehouses and depots. It moves the charging event outside the building, which removes fire compartmentation, ventilation, and indoor insurance exposure from the equation. When outdoor placement is not possible, sensor-monitored indoor charging with active suppression (gas detection, automatic shut-off, and per-compartment fire containment) addresses the risk at unit level.
Can outdoor e-bike charging lockers integrate with existing access control systems?
Yes. CoreShelter units can be fitted with RFID locks compatible with standard employee badge systems. At Tesla Gigafactory Berlin, the lockers were integrated with the site's existing MIFARE badge system (a widely used contactless card standard), so staff could use their standard access card to secure a charging compartment without additional keys or apps. CoreShelters can be configured to work with different access control systems.
How do depot operators manage e-bike charging capacity across multiple staff shifts?
CoreShelter compartments can be configured with time-based lock logic to keep capacity available across shift rotations. At Tesla Gigafactory Berlin, a 12-hour cycle opens compartments automatically after 12 hours, preventing long-term occupation and ensuring arriving shifts find available charging. For indoor SmartShelter installations, individually controlled compartment power and remote monitoring give facilities managers visibility over usage patterns, so capacity can be managed without manual oversight.
What are the insurance implications of charging e-bike batteries indoors in a warehouse?
Underwriters assess where batteries are charged as part of commercial site risk evaluation. For businesses handling lithium-ion batteries, insurers are increasingly imposing stricter underwriting conditions — including higher premiums, coverage exclusions, and requirements to evidence fire mitigation systems and third-party certification, according to Hogan Lovells Cadwalader's analysis of insurer conditions for lithium battery businesses. Both CoreShelter and SmartShelter carry CE conformity to EN 14470:2023 and have been tested to VDMA 24994 methodology — giving operators a documented safety specification to present to their broker. This varies by market and insurer, so speak to your broker about the specific implications for your site.
Does PGS 37-2 apply to my depot or warehouse in the Netherlands?
It depends on the total weight of lithium batteries your site holds simultaneously. PGS 37-2 applies to sites holding more than 333 kg of lithium batteries at any one time. A standard removable e-bike battery weighs approximately 2.5–4 kg, so a depot would need over 80 batteries on site simultaneously to approach that threshold. Most last-mile depots charge individual rider batteries sequentially and do not come close. The same threshold applies regardless of building type: office buildings, university campuses, and public institutions are subject to the same 333 kg trigger. If you operate a high-volume depot or centralised battery hub, calculate your total on-site battery mass and verify with a compliance consultant.
If e-bike battery charging regulations don't apply to my site, does that mean charging is unregulated?
No. General fire safety legislation, employer health and safety obligations, and building regulations apply regardless of whether a specific threshold regulation is triggered. The threshold determines whether those specific requirements apply, not whether fire safety obligations exist. Duty of care to employees and visitors, local building code compliance, and your insurance obligations remain in force at any volume.