As the ubiquity of e-bikes has grown, so has the frequency of fires and deaths blamed on the batteries that power them — sparking a push to better regulate how the batteries are manufactured, sold, reconditioned, charged and stored.
Motorized bicycles are parked while delivery workers take a break in New York, Tuesday, July 25, 2023. As the coronavirus dug in, the number of motorized bicycles dashing through New York City swelled, as cocooning residents grew reliant on food delivery workers for their COVID-era meals. But as the number of e-bikes have grown — now an estimated 65,000 zipping from eateries to doorsteps — so has the frequency of fires and deaths blamed on exploding lithium-ion batteries.
With some 65,000 e-bikes zipping through its streets — more than any other place in the U.S. — New York City is the epicenter of battery-related fires. There have been 100 such blazes so far this year, resulting in 13 deaths, already more than double the six fatalities last year. Earlier this year, New York City urgently enacted a sweeping package of local laws intended to crack down on defective batteries, including a ban on the sale or rental of e-bikes and batteries that aren’t certified as meeting safety standards by an independent product testing lab.
“When they fail, they fail quite spectacularly,” said Kavanagh, who will speak at Thursday's forum and advocate for national safety standards and stronger measures against possibly dangerous devices. “Once one of these ignites, there is a huge volume of fire, often so much so that the person in their home can’t get out and the firefighters can’t get in to get them."
With the rash of fires, delivery workers like Lizandro Lopez say they are now more mindful about precautions. Tighter regulations, safety standards and compliance testing drastically reduced the risk of fires in such devices, according to Robert Slone, the senior vice president and chief scientist for UL Solutions.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hunter Biden to appear in federal court, enter guilty plea out of years-long federal probeHunter Biden is set to make his first court appearance in Delaware where he is expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges Wednesday morning stemming from the years-long federal investigation into his tax affairs.
Read more »
Federal Reserve Raises Federal Funds Rate by 25bps Amidst Moderate Economic Growth – Economics Bitcoin NewsThe FOMC expressed concern that tighter credit conditions for households and businesses might have a negative impact on economic activity. Economics
Read more »
Ex-Columbia University gynecologist expected to be sentenced Tuesday on federal sex abuse charges | CNNA former Columbia University gynecologist accused by the wife of former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and others of sexual assault is expected to be sentenced Tuesday after his conviction earlier this year on federal sexual abuse charges.
Read more »