If you happen to’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, typically catching headlines for battery fires. Town hosts extra electrical scooters and e-bikes than ever earlier than, and but this 12 months is seeing a drastic drop in fatalities brought on by battery fires.
So if there are extra battery-powered mobility gadgets on NYC’s streets than ever earlier than, why are the hearth loss of life figures heading in the other way?
Initially, as we’ve typically reported right here on Electrek, the phenomenon of an electrical bicycle fireplace, 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 They get loads of information protection due to the outdated “if it bleeds (or burns), it leads” adage.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 tens of millions of e-bikes and e-scooters presently rolling across the US and battery fires are extremely uncommon.
Even in New York Metropolis, which is dwelling 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 quite to place issues in perspective. New Yorkers are 3-5x extra more likely to die from choking or using the subway than from a battery fireplace.
Regardless of that already low fee, 2024 has seen a serious drop in e-bike fireplace fatalities. As of final month, simply 4 deaths had been recorded in battery fires, marking greater than a 60% drop in comparison with 2023, in response to the New York Instances.
The most important contributing issue to e-bike battery fires is the prevalence of low-quality batteries produced by ultra-budget producers. These batteries might be engaging to customers on account of 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 considerations on account of unscrupulous manufacturing strategies.
New York Metropolis, for its half, has made a serious effort to maintain these batteries out, implementing a ban on mobility gadgets bought with batteries that aren’t UL-compliant. Because the ban started, metropolis inspectors have visited a whole bunch of e-bike shops and battery restore outlets, 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 scale back their availability and the variety of cheaply made e-bike batteries out on the road.
NYC has additionally undertaken main academic packages which have inspired metropolis residents to cost their batteries safely, that means both outdoor or in fire-protected areas resembling specifically designed charging containers, as an alternative of in the lounge of their flats.
Town has partnered with a number of third-party battery cupboard firms that provide safe locking storage for battery charging and swapping. This permits supply riders and others to soundly 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, resembling 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 seemingly helped NYC make such a serious discount in e-bike fireplace fatalities in simply the previous 12 months.
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