In case you’ve been following the information on electrical bicycle fires within the US, you’ll already know that New York Metropolis is broadly seen because the epicenter, usually catching headlines for battery fires. The town hosts extra electrical scooters and e-bikes than ever earlier than, and but this 12 months is seeing a drastic drop in fatalities attributable to battery fires.
So if there are extra battery-powered mobility gadgets on NYC’s streets than ever earlier than, why are the fireplace loss of life figures heading in the wrong way?
To start with, as we’ve usually reported right here on Electrek, the phenomenon of an electrical bicycle hearth, and particularly fatalities from electrical bicycle fires, are exceeding uncommon. They get loads of information protection due to the outdated “if it bleeds (or burns), it leads” adage. However the reality of the matter is that there are hundreds of thousands of e-bikes and e-scooters at present rolling across the US and battery fires are extremely uncommon.
Even in New York Metropolis, which is residence to extra of those gadgets than anyplace else within the US, town noticed simply 14 fatalities from dozens of e-bike fires in 2023. That isn’t to say the issue isn’t severe however moderately to place issues in perspective. New Yorkers are 3-5x extra more likely to die from choking or driving the subway than from a battery hearth.
Regardless of that already low price, 2024 has seen a significant drop in e-bike hearth fatalities. As of final month, simply 4 deaths have been recorded in battery fires, marking greater than a 60% drop in comparison with 2023, based on the New York Instances.
The largest contributing issue to e-bike battery fires is the prevalence of low-quality batteries produced by ultra-budget producers. These batteries may be enticing to customers attributable to their considerably decrease costs. Such low-cost batteries are generally utilized by supply riders and different low-income employees who depend on their e-bikes for a residing, however they arrive with security issues attributable to unscrupulous manufacturing strategies.
New York Metropolis, for its half, has made a significant effort to maintain these batteries out, implementing a ban on mobility gadgets offered with batteries that aren’t UL-compliant. Because the ban started, metropolis inspectors have visited tons of of e-bike shops and battery restore retailers, serving to to implement the ban on non-conforming batteries.
Whereas this hasn’t fully stemmed the tide of poorly-made batteries, it has actually helped cut back their availability and the variety of cheaply made e-bike batteries out on the road.
NYC has additionally undertaken main academic applications which have inspired metropolis residents to cost their batteries safely, which means both outside or in fire-protected areas equivalent to specifically designed charging bins, as an alternative of in the lounge of their flats.
The town has partnered with a number of third-party battery cupboard firms that provide safe locking storage for battery charging and swapping. This allows supply riders and others to securely and shortly cost their batteries or swap them out for brand new ones.
Such outside charging amenities have gotten considerably extra widespread, however are nonetheless uncommon in the US. Firms like Beam have debuted solar-powered charging stations for e-bikes, however the requirement to deliver their very own wall charger has been a typical criticism of such designs.
Different firms, equivalent to Mod Bikes, have debuted e-bike charging stations that present locking storage for the e-bike chargers.
The number of totally different safe charging places, the crackdown on poorly-made batteries, and the funding in schooling and public consciousness round e-bike fires have possible helped NYC make such a significant discount in e-bike hearth fatalities in simply the previous 12 months.
FTC: We use revenue incomes auto affiliate hyperlinks. Extra.
