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,”…
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