American Vet

E-bikes 'are incredibly dangerous devices,' New York City fire commissioner said in February

Electric bicycles, which environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers have touted for their zero-carbon output, are facing increased criticism over the rising number of tragic incidents involving their batteries.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), so-called e-bikes are powered by lithium-ion batteries which are prone to fires or explosions. And as e-bikes continue to become more popular — the global e-bike industry is expected to grow nearly 200% to an estimated value of $118.7 billion by 2030, according to Allied Market Research — more cities nationwide are facing rapidly-increasing numbers of battery fires.

"The majority of lithium-ion battery fires that fire departments across the country are dealing with involve these micromobility devices," Matthew Paiss, a technical advisor in the Battery Materials & Systems group of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, told the NFPA Journal last year.

"With something like an electric vehicle fire, you may be able to let it burn on the side of the road," he added. "With these, though, they may be in homes and high-rises, so fire departments have to engage. It’s a problem we need to address."

NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE FIVE-ALARM FIRE STARTED BY E-BIKE BATTERY
Several e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries are seen strewn on the street as New York City firefighters fight a nearby fire.

Several e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries are seen strewn on the street as New York City firefighters fight a nearby fire. (FDNY)

While most cities don't officially track e-bike fire and battery fire-related injury data, New York City officials have recently shared such information as part of a campaign to inform residents about the dangers posed by the devices.

In 2022, e-bikes were responsible for an estimated 220 fires, up more than 100% year-over-year, and six deaths, according to the New York Fire Department (FDNY). Already this year, there have been 59 fires, more than three dozen injuries and five deaths in New York City as a result of e-bike battery fires.

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"These are incredibly dangerous devices if they are unregulated or used improperly," New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said during a public safety in February. "They show an enormous amount of fire when they catch fire — they often present an immediate inability to exit one's room or one's apartment or one's home."

"We're going to come at this from every angle of enforcement, but also want to do community outreach and will be in every community working with every stakeholder," she continued.

In the most recent example of a catastrophic fire from an e-bike battery, two children were killed Monday in Queens, New York. FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said that, while firefighters arrived to the scene quickly, the violent nature of lithium-ion battery-triggered fires makes it harder to quell.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made addressing e-bike fires a priority of his administration.
In another example, an e-bike fire in a Manhattan high-rise building late last year injured at least 38 people, The New York Times reported at the time. Another fire, in January, was triggered by an e-bike at a New York City daycare center, critically injuring one child and harming two others.

As part of the city's efforts to combat the increasing number of incidents, in March, Democratic Mayor Eric Adams signed five bills to regulate the types of lithium-ion batteries sold in the city.

"Today, we are supercharging safety for all of our e-bikes and e-scooter users," Adams said.

Other cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Miami have also seen major fires from e-bike batteries.

And the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a letter in December to more than 2,000 e-bike and e-scooter manufacturers and importers, urging them to ensure their products comply with voluntary safety standards, threatening legal action. The federal agency said it had received reports of fires and deaths from the product.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said last month that e-bikes are a "phenomenal way to traverse our communities."

"As you may be aware, in recent years there has been a rise in fires and other thermal events involving micromobility products—including e-scooters, self-balancing scooters (often referred to as hoverboards), e-bicycles, and e-unicycles," CPSC Office of Compliance and Field Operations Director Robert Kaye wrote.

"I urge you to review your product line immediately and ensure that all micromobility devices that you manufacture, import, distribute, or sell in the United States comply with the relevant UL standards. Failure to do so puts U.S. consumers at risk of serious harm and may result in enforcement action."

The warnings about e-bike safety come as Democratic lawmakers continue to push the product as a key part of their climate agenda and effort to decarbonize the U.S. economy.

Last month, Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., introduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment Act which would provide Americans with an up to $1,500 credit on e-bike purchases. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

"By incentivizing Americans to own and use e-bikes, we are allowing them the chance to help improve the quality of life in our communities and tackle the climate crisis in our country," Panetta said.

"Electric bikes are a phenomenal way to traverse our communities, combining the beauty of the outdoors with the ease and benefits of sustainable transportation," added Schiff.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-favorite-green-mode-transportation-causing-explosions-deaths

Justice101

The trade-off between tackling the climate crisis with possible death by explosion doesn't sound very promising to me.

guzzimaestro

These battery fires need chemicals to put them out. Water won't work. Child slave labor is used to harvest the minerals to make these batteries. Old slo Joe seems to be alright with this. Yeah, that's real "green" energy.

Michael10

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/14/americas/haiti-gasoline-tanker-explosion-intl/index.html

https://www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/slide-shows/fuel-tanker-explodes-fatally-injuring-worker?lang=en

https://abcnews.go.com/US/video-shows-car-turning-fireball-gas-station-injuring/story?id=39911438

Just a few of millions of cases of gasoline explosions/fires. No form of energy we are presently using is safe from some type accident/incident.

Your post says "Democrats favorite green mode", while I don't consider myself Right or Left I would like to see Hydrogen pushed harder, It wouldn't take a lot to go from Gas to Hydrogen and the byproduct is water. Gasoline is NOT the best we can do!

American Vet

In the past, I would have agreed with you - till I did a bit of research. Not to dismiss it - but is it a viable source of fuel for everyday use in automobiles?

Is there any role for hydrogen in a decarbonised future?

Yes, but a limited one – given that it takes more energy to produce, store and transport hydrogen than it provides when converted into useful energy, so using anything but new renewable sources (true green hydrogen) will require burning more fossil fuels.

According to the hydrogen merit ladder devised by Michael Liebreich, host of the Cleaning Up podcast, swapping clean hydrogen for the fossil fuel-based grey and brown stuff currently used for synthetic fertilisers, petrochemicals and steel is a no-brainer. The carbon footprint of global hydrogen production today is equivalent to Germany’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, so the sooner we swap to green hydrogen (created from new renewables) the better. This could also be useful for some transportation, such as long-haul flights and heavy machinery, and maybe to store surplus wind and solar energy – though none are slam dunks for hydrogen as there are alternative technologies vying for these markets, said Liebreich.

But for most forms of transport (cars, bikes, buses and trains) and heating there are already safer, cleaner and cheaper technologies such as battery-run electric vehicles and heat pumps, so there’s little or no merit in investing time or money with hydrogen. Howarth said: “Renewable electricity is a scarce resource. Direct electrification and batteries offer so much more, and much more quickly. It’s a huge distraction and waste of resources to even be talking about heating homes and passenger vehicles with hydrogen.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/07/hydrogen-clean-fuel-climate-crisis-explainer

WinkyTink Loc: Hill Country, TX

Hmmm....the Hindenberg..... a bomb in every driveway!

Sew_What

....have WE so quickly forgot about Republicans favorite way moving toxic chemicals (trains if you haven't figured it out yet) and causing massive spills...jeopardizing communities...rendering perfectly good land useless. I will bet that there are just as many Republicans working for the EV vehicle space that don't give a shit what you about anything.

I have big secret to share you with Honda will never stop making drivetrains. Mary Barra annouced two years ago that they are forming a JV with Honda. Just think your next Silverado will probably have a Honda drivetrain, since by the end of the decade of GM powertrain will probably be owned by Honda.

So REPUBLICAN, stick your head back in the sand and maybe by the time you need to get some fresh the world will be a cleaner place to breath in than it is currently.

If it were up to me the whole would be covered in Thorium Salt SMR Nuclear reactors and solar panels and charging stations everywhere so you could get anywhere.

The least of your worries though: electric cars produce ozone

Read this:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cind.818_3.x#:~:text=However%2C%20if%20fuel%20production%20and,Transp.

guzzimaestro

BS. Warren Buffett owns his own railroad, he's one of the biggest DNC donors and guess what? His rail cars are shipping the oil and gas now that oblunder and slo joe shut down the most efficient shipping method. Pipelines.

WinkyTink Loc: Hill Country, TX

Trains+unions+corruption= democrat
Pipelines = Republican

American Vet

Is there a point to your inane rant?

Justice101

China and India aren't worried about your "global warming" as they continue to mine and use coal. We use clean coal here in the U.S.

https://earthandhuman.org/actions-on-global-warming-by-china-and-india/

Byrd

I wonder what would happen if we go to all electric and have a power failure. Had one here yesterday. Nothing would work. No heat, no way to cook meals. No way to charge your cars batteries. No lights, nothing.
How are they going to generate the power? Windmills will not work with no wind, Solar will not work on cloudy, rainy days. Run generators on batteries? What will it cost to recharge your car batteries after the states and federal gov. gets thru adding taxes per KW like they do now on gals of gas? Will that increase in taxes be added to your home electric bill. Probably. Will you be able to pay your electric bill? Probably not. Whole thing is crazy.

Byrd

Never understood what the problem with global warming is. Had it since the ice age ended or we'd still be in the ice age. At one time most of the earth was covered with snow and ice. Not much land. Very few people. didn't need much land. Now ice is about gone. Billions more people, need more open land for housing, growing crops, roads and farms and ranches. Without global warming, couldn't do it. As we get more people, need more food, need more land for farmers and ranchers, buildings and roads. Without global warming, we wouldn't have any. People would be starving, freezing in winter. Now animals have more grass, summers are longer, gardens and farms start sooner, last longer for raing food for the increasing number of people. We now have more trees for lumber, more grass for the cattle and other animals, more open land for roads and buildings. Don't need as much heat in the winter. Hate cold weather, love global warming, hope nobody does anything to stop it.

American Vet

The best path for American to become energy independent is by using the HUGE capabilities we have. Then begin research into other options in a careful, controlled manner - instead of rushing crazily into wind/solar and their well-documented inadequacies and failures.

guzzimaestro

Common sense would suggest, but democrats don't have a working relationship with that and they have another agenda.