New York announces rules to curb e-bike and e-scooter fires

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced new legislation aimed at preventing fires caused by lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters.

The legislation mandates that any micromobility device must meet standards set by UL Solutions, a battery testing and certification company.

Other measures ban the resale of batteries, change New York City Fire Department reporting standards, and restrict the reconditioning of used batteries.

“E-bikes and e-scooters are here, you might as well get used to them,” Mayor Adams said.

“They are now part of our movement; now we must make sure they are incorporated in our everyday lives. These are convenient transportation options for New Yorkers, but faulty and illegal devices are making their way into our homes and streets, causing fires and putting lives at risk.

“Through promoting safe devices, expanding education, increasing enforcement on high-risk situations, and pursuing additional regulation, I’m proud that New York City is leading that charge.”

City Hall says that fires caused by batteries that power micromobility devices “are a significant problem” in NYC, growing from 44 in 2020 to 220 in 2022.

These fires can be particularly severe and difficult to extinguish, spreading quickly and producing noxious fumes.

In December 2022, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that micromobility-related fires had resulted in at least 19 fatalities across the country over the period from January 1, 2021 to November 28, 2022.

Charge safe, ride safe

New York City will also implement the “Charge Safe, Ride Safe” plan, which focuses on four areas: promoting and incentivising safe battery use; increasing education and outreach to electric micromobility users; advocating for additional federal regulation of the devices; and expanding enforcement against high-risk situations.

“Legal electric micromobility is a critical part of a safe, equitable and sustainable transportation landscape. These devices can make moving around the city easier for New Yorkers and are critical tools used by thousands of delivery workers to support our economy,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

“Through this plan, DOT is working closely with its sister agencies to develop the street infrastructure, safety education campaigns, and public charging options to support their growth and safe use.”

Wider problem

The issue of battery fires has been seen in several other cities.

The majority of incidents have been related to privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes, with faulty lithium-ion batteries seen as the main culprit.

In London, the city’s emergency services attended 88 fires caused by e-bikes last year – an increase of 80 percent when compared to 2021.

In December 2021, Transport for London (TfL) banned e-scooters and e-unicycles from its services after a review by the transit operator found that “defective lithium-ion batteries which ruptured without warning” posed a danger to the public.

Barcelona has imposed a six-month ban on e-scooters on public transport to allow time for rules to be drawn up, following a fire on a train.

The problem often lies with manufacturing defects, K.M. Abraham, Research Professor, Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technologies, told Cities Today in an interview last year.

“Every day we are using billions of these batteries [lithium-ion] in our devices, our cell phones, our laptops, etc., but they don’t explode because they are manufactured to very high specifications and precision,” he commented.

Abraham said companies should buy battery cells from reputable manufacturers and that governments should require some form of certification that batteries have been tested by a recognised safety agency or procured from a reputable company.

Image: Mayoral Photography Office