The City of New York is grappling with a problem fire.
Specifically, escooter and ebike lithium-ion batteries catch fire and sometimes explode.
And theres no sign of it ending anytime soon.
Earlier this year, I wrotean introductory articledetailing the rate of lithium-ion battery fires.
Ill follow up with a third article shortly exploring potential technological solutions to prevent battery fires.
What causes battery fires?
In the case of ebikes and escooter fires, there are numerous causes.
A huge amount of energy resides in this small space.
This is known as a thermal runway event.
The reaction produces enough heat to cause adjacent battery cells to also catch fire or explode.
They can leaktoxic chemicalsdangerous to people and pets.
Fortunately, this is far less common in ebikes and escooters.
Comparatively, this time last year saw only 65 ebike and escooter battery fires.
Its worth stressing that these fires make up only a small percentage of all blazes in New York.
Further, the fires are indicative of a bigger issue facing the city.
New York has over 65,000 delivery workers, many of whom use ebikes.
For many riders, the only place they charge is at home in their cheap apartment.
And in a long shift, a rider may need more than one battery.
Staff offered her a charging spot for $50 a month.
Amazingly, there have been no fires there to date.
Is cost-efficiency to blame?
The problem compounds with age as these batteries are not getting any younger.
Theyre actually just getting a lot older very quickly.
Often with ebikes and escooters, everyone rides them like they stole them.
Which from a cell perspective is where it doesnt want to be.
Unfortunately, cheap ebikes and repurposed bikes and chargers arent the only culprits.
In 2015, Pedego recalledevery model they ever solddue to battery fire potential.
Specialized Bicycle Components has recalled electric mountain bike battery packsseveral timesdue to fire hazards.
Santa Cruz Bicycles issueda recall noticefor Heckler 9 electric bikes sold between January and March 2022.
I spoke to Jim Jimmy Mac McIlvain, awriter,editor, and bike expert tracking ebike fires.
He notes that:
Established companies like Specialized, Santa Cruz, and Pedego stand behind their products.
But the number of e-bike companies selling to US consumers is well over181 brands!
Brands you probably have never heard of.
So what is New York City doing about the problem?
Inner-city residents reap the benefits of the convenience of gig economy riders.
Yet the city has made no effort to provide infrastructure like charging stations and secure places for storage.
Interestingly, New York Councilwoman Gale Brewer proposeslegislationto ban second-use or refurbished batteries.
This wont do much to stop the fires resulting from new store-bought ebikes.
She also suggests that delivery posters and delivery apps should make riders aware of potential battery risks.
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin.
