FDNY calls for crackdown on lithium batteries in e-bikes, ban for universal batteries
The FDNY is asking the Consumer Product Safety Commission to crack down on e-bikes that use lithium batteries in New York City.
News 12 Staff
•
Feb 14, 2023, 5:49 PM
•
Updated 446 days ago
Share:
More Stories
1:35
4th annual People's Ball returns to the Brooklyn Public Library
2h ago0:30
Zibanejad has 2 goals and 1 assist, Panarin scores as Rangers beat Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 1
2h ago2:09
Riverdale Restaurant Week kicks off for the season
3h ago1:49
Morning rains before cloudy, warm Monday afternoon for New York City
3h ago1:53
Ditmas Park residents fed up with only building elevator being out of service for a year
6h ago1:15
NYPD: 23-year-old woman struck by B41 bus in Downtown Brooklyn
7h ago1:35
4th annual People's Ball returns to the Brooklyn Public Library
2h ago0:30
Zibanejad has 2 goals and 1 assist, Panarin scores as Rangers beat Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 1
2h ago2:09
Riverdale Restaurant Week kicks off for the season
3h ago1:49
Morning rains before cloudy, warm Monday afternoon for New York City
3h ago1:53
Ditmas Park residents fed up with only building elevator being out of service for a year
6h ago1:15
NYPD: 23-year-old woman struck by B41 bus in Downtown Brooklyn
7h agoThe FDNY is asking the Consumer Product Safety Commission to crack down on e-bikes that use lithium batteries in New York City.
FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said in a letter that there have been 22 lithium battery-related fires in 2023. The biggest jump was from 2020, when 44 lithium battery fires were reported, to 2021, when a total of 104 fires were reported. Those 2021 numbers doubled in 2022 with 216 lithium battery fires.
The letter calls to punish manufacturers who do not warn consumers of the hazards. It also calls for a ban on universal batteries, which are used to be interchangeable batteries for different products and e-bikes. The FDNY says universal batteries need to be made for specific products so that they cannot be remade or refurbished by illegal sellers.
This comes just as a Brooklyn home was engulfed in flames Tuesday morning in Bushwick. Officials say electronic mobility devices were located at the scene, but it is unclear if they were the cause or involved with the fire.
