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E-bike battery fires keep climbing in NYC

 

The fire department has recommendations for charging batteries as safely as possible. E-bike users should never charge their batteries unattended or near flammable items, like beds and couches. They should also ensure their charger isn’t blocking the primary entrance to their home — that way they can safely escape if the battery fails.

If you’re worried about a local e-bike shop’s charging practices, the FDNY recommends reporting it to 311. And if you see a battery overheating, leaking or otherwise behaving oddly, leave the area immediately and call 911.

New York City firefighters responded to 267 fires caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries in 2023 — about 20% more than in 2022 — even as lawmakers have introduced new safety measures.

The number of deaths from battery fires also increased in 2023, tripling to 18 from six the previous year, according to FDNY data reviewed by Gothamist. Several fires claimed multiple lives: A blaze last June killed four people living above a Chinatown e-bike shop, while another fire triggered by an e-scooter battery killed three members of one family when it engulfed their Crown Heights brownstone in November.

 

The uptick in fires has continued even as lawmakers and transit advocates have introduced several measures to purge the market of the cheap, low-quality batteries that are most prone to exploding. Last year, the City Council passed bills outlawing local sales of aftermarket batteries and laying the groundwork for a trade-in program. Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to build safe charging hubs at 53 NYCHA complexes and at strategic points throughout the city.

Additionally, city officials and firefighters have stepped up inspections of bike shops to ensure they’re selling safe batteries. Fear of the fires has also spurred some landlords to ban e-bikes and other vehicles that use the batteries, Gothamist reported in November.The federal government has also weighed in. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said last fall that it plans to lay out universal safety standards for e-bikes, scooters and mopeds, making it much harder to sell dangerously bad batteries. But they likely won’t be finalized until 2025, Bicycle Retailer reported.

E-bike experts and advocates for delivery workers praised the policy changes, but acknowledged that it will take a long time before they lead to a reduction in fires – particularly when the city’s 65,000 delivery workers depend on cheap bikes and batteries for their livelihoods.

 

“Legislation will ultimately address this problem,” said Mike Fritz, an e-bike consultant. “But until those battery packs are purged from the marketplace, this trend is going to continue.”

“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he added. “Unfortunately, it’s a very long tunnel.”

Lithium-ion batteries are light, energy-dense and long-lasting, making them a popular choice for e-bike, scooter and moped riders. Battery packs tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratories, which sets safety standards for all kinds of electronics, are generally very safe, experts say. But they can also cost as much as $650 apiece, putting them out of reach for many delivery workers, who may need multiple battery packs to get through a shift. Delivery workers have historically made about $11 an hour, though they recently secured a new minimum wage of about $18 per hour.

 

“There is a shortage of [safe batteries] that are affordable and accessible to delivery workers,” said Ligia Guallpa, executive director of the Workers Justice Project, the parent organization of the delivery workers’ union Los Deliveristas Unidos.Many delivery workers are forced to instead buy cheap or refurbished batteries, which aren’t UL-certified. Their bikes and batteries are subjected to tremendous wear and tear from long hours and inclement weather, Gothamist reported previously. And advocates say deliver workers often have no choice but to charge the batteries at home while they sleep.

All it takes is one short-circuit or overheated cell for the entire battery to ignite, emitting toxic fumes and fueling a fast and destructive blaze that is difficult to extinguish, fire safety experts say. Conventional fire extinguishers don’t work on battery fires, according to the FDNY — the battery will spontaneously reignite until it cools down or runs out of fuel.

“Lithium-ion batteries can enter an uncontrollable, self-heating state,” reads an FDNY guide on the batteries. “This can result in the release of gas, cause fire and possible explosion.”

 

Fritz, the e-bike consultant, applauded city officials’ progress on snuffing out unsafe batteries, including the battery swap plan and safe charging stations. Upper West Side residents, meanwhile, have pushed back against a planned delivery worker hub in the neighborhood.

 

But Fritz said a successful trade-in program will have to overcome several financial and logistical hurdles. Deliveristas will need multiple expensive batteries and chargers, each compatible with their unique vehicle, he said.

“It’s the best idea in the world, the fastest way to get those packs out of the marketplace, but it has significant challenges,” Fritz said. “I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see it happening [yet].”

The fire department has recommendations for charging batteries as safely as possible. E-bike users should never charge their batteries unattended or near flammable items, like beds and couches. They should also ensure their charger isn’t blocking the primary entrance to their home — that way they can safely escape if the battery fails.

If you’re worried about a local e-bike shop’s charging practices, the FDNY recommends reporting it to 311. And if you see a battery overheating, leaking or otherwise behaving oddly, leave the area immediately and call 911.

New York City firefighters responded to 267 fires caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries in 2023 — about 20% more than in 2022 — even as lawmakers have introduced new safety measures.

The number of deaths from battery fires also increased in 2023, tripling to 18 from six the previous year, according to FDNY data reviewed by Gothamist. Several fires claimed multiple lives: A blaze last June killed four people living above a Chinatown e-bike shop, while another fire triggered by an e-scooter battery killed three members of one family when it engulfed their Crown Heights brownstone in November.

The uptick in fires has continued even as lawmakers and transit advocates have introduced several measures to purge the market of the cheap, low-quality batteries that are most prone to exploding. Last year, the City Council passed bills outlawing local sales of aftermarket batteries and laying the groundwork for a trade-in program. Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to build safe charging hubs at 53 NYCHA complexes and at strategic points throughout the city.

Additionally, city officials and firefighters have stepped up inspections of bike shops to ensure they’re selling safe batteries. Fear of the fires has also spurred some landlords to ban e-bikes and other vehicles that use the batteries, Gothamist reported in November.

The federal government has also weighed in. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said last fall that it plans to lay out universal safety standards for e-bikes, scooters and mopeds, making it much harder to sell dangerously bad batteries. But they likely won’t be finalized until 2025, Bicycle Retailer reported.

E-bike experts and advocates for delivery workers praised the policy changes, but acknowledged that it will take a long time before they lead to a reduction in fires – particularly when the city’s 65,000 delivery workers depend on cheap bikes and batteries for their livelihoods.

“Legislation will ultimately address this problem,” said Mike Fritz, an e-bike consultant. “But until those battery packs are purged from the marketplace, this trend is going to continue.”

“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he added. “Unfortunately, it’s a very long tunnel.”

Lithium-ion batteries are light, energy-dense and long-lasting, making them a popular choice for e-bike, scooter and moped riders. Battery packs tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratories, which sets safety standards for all kinds of electronics, are generally very safe, experts say. But they can also cost as much as $650 apiece, putting them out of reach for many delivery workers, who may need multiple battery packs to get through a shift. Delivery workers have historically made about $11 an hour, though they recently secured a new minimum wage of about $18 per hour.

“There is a shortage of [safe batteries] that are affordable and accessible to delivery workers,” said Ligia Guallpa, executive director of the Workers Justice Project, the parent organization of the delivery workers’ union Los Deliveristas Unidos.

Many delivery workers are forced to instead buy cheap or refurbished batteries, which aren’t UL-certified. Their bikes and batteries are subjected to tremendous wear and tear from long hours and inclement weather, Gothamist reported previously. And advocates say deliver workers often have no choice but to charge the batteries at home while they sleep.

All it takes is one short-circuit or overheated cell for the entire battery to ignite, emitting toxic fumes and fueling a fast and destructive blaze that is difficult to extinguish, fire safety experts say. Conventional fire extinguishers don’t work on battery fires, according to the FDNY — the battery will spontaneously reignite until it cools down or runs out of fuel.

“Lithium-ion batteries can enter an uncontrollable, self-heating state,” reads an FDNY guide on the batteries. “This can result in the release of gas, cause fire and possible explosion.”

Fritz, the e-bike consultant, applauded city officials’ progress on snuffing out unsafe batteries, including the battery swap plan and safe charging stations. Upper West Side residents, meanwhile, have pushed back against a planned delivery worker hub in the neighborhood.

But Fritz said a successful trade-in program will have to overcome several financial and logistical hurdles. Deliveristas will need multiple expensive batteries and chargers, each compatible with their unique vehicle, he said.

“It’s the best idea in the world, the fastest way to get those packs out of the marketplace, but it has significant challenges,” Fritz said. “I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see it happening [yet].”



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