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NYC is seeing more fires caused by e-bike batteries : NPR


New York City is on track to experience twice as many e-bike-related fires this year than last year. Pictured above, remains of a January fire in an apartment in the Bronx.

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New York City is on track to experience twice as many e-bike-related fires this year than last year. Pictured above, remains of a January fire in an apartment in the Bronx.

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NEW YORK – An average of four times a week, an e-bike or e-scooter battery catches fire in New York City.

Sometimes it happens like this on the street, but more often, it happens when the owner is recharging the lithium ion battery. A mismatched charger does not always automatically turn off when the battery is fully charged and continues to heat up. Or, the highly flammable electrolyte inside the battery’s cells leaks out of the case and ignites, causing a chain reaction.

Dan Flynn, sheriff of the New York Fire Department, said: “When these bicycles fail, they will fail like a blower. “We’ve seen incidents where people describe them as explosive – incidents where they really have so much power, they literally collapse the wall between the rooms and the apartment.”

A fire in Brooklyn in April attributed to a faulty e-bike or electronic battery burned and gutted two homes.

And these fires are getting more and more frequent.

As of Friday, the FDNY had investigated 174 battery fires, putting 2022 on track to double the number of fires that occurred last year (104) and quadruple from 2020 (44). To date, six people have died in e-bike-related fires and 93 have been injured, up from four deaths and 79 injuries last year.

In early August, a 27-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, identified as Rafael Elias Lopez-Centeno, died after his lithium ion battery caught fire and ripped through the Bronx apartment where he was staying. Carmen Tiburcio, a neighbor, said Lopez’s aunt told her he tried to escape through the front door, but the bicycle got in the way. Instead, he took refuge in the bathroom, where he tried to fill the tub with water to protect himself from the flames. But the smoke got to him, she said.

“He didn’t make it,” Tiburcio said. “His lungs are terrible.”

Another danger to delivery jobs

Many, if not most, of the fires in New York involve e-bike batteries owned by restaurant delivery workers, who work long shifts, traveling tens of miles a day.

“Bicycles tend to get bumped up, due to impact factors,” says Flynn. “They weren’t really made for our streets.”

The longer the battery is used, the longer it takes to fully charge and can be up to 8 hours. That makes it harder for owners to keep an eye on the battery for the entire time it’s plugged in, which is important for safety.

An e-bike battery is made up of many “cells”, each of which is slightly larger than an AA battery. If they are damaged and leak liquid, they can easily catch fire.

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An e-bike battery is made up of many “cells”, each of which is slightly larger than an AA battery. If they are damaged and leak liquid, they can easily catch fire.

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Also, new batteries are expensive, and the temptation to pick up a cheaper refurbished battery for less is huge – especially for those delivering $12.21 an hour later. when the cost, according to a survey by the Los Deliveristas Unionan advocacy and membership organization.

Several e-bike owners interviewed by NPR in New York City said they are aware of the risks posed by batteries and have taken measures to reduce them.

Rafael Cardanales, who lives on the Lower East Side, said: “A lot of guys have four, five, six bikes in their apartment and they swap out chargers for different bikes when it doesn’t belong to the bike. pedal it.” “You can’t just use any charger, you know.”

Musfiqur Rahman says when he first got into the delivery business, he bought two new Arrow-brand batteries — for $550 each. He did it specifically to avoid a fire.

“As far as I know, this brand has never been involved in this type of incident,” said the 27-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant.

The FDNY said most batteries were so consumed by fire when they were tested that they were unable to draw conclusions about which brand is safer than another.

The FDNY has started posting videos on social media warning about the dangers of recharging lithium ion batteries.

Live close to home

Fires involving e-bikes have occurred elsewhere, such as London, San Francisco, Michigan and South Florida. But nowhere is interest for them as high as in New York, perhaps because of the popularity of apartment living – and also the popularity of takeout.

While restaurants sometimes store bikes overnight for employees, few are now working for specific restaurants and many more are working for themselves, using apps like Door Dash or Uber Eats to connect with customers. And these commuters often don’t have anywhere else to store and recharge their e-bikes except in their apartments.

Therefore, that creates a fire hazard not only for workers but also for their neighbours. This summer, tthe New York City Housing Authority proposes banning electric bicycles and batteries from its 2,600 buildings. But recommend create an uproarand officials didn’t go through it.

An estimated 65,000 food couriers work in New York City. Most use electric bicycles or e-scooters to get around.

Matthew Schuerman / NPR


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An estimated 65,000 food couriers work in New York City. Most use electric bicycles or e-scooters to get around.

Matthew Schuerman / NPR

City councilors have proposed their own solutions. For example, a bill would ban sell used batteries within city limits. Someone else will demand that all batteries be sold approved by a national testing service, such as Release Labs. Mayor Eric Adams recently announced he will direct 1 million dollars to create hubs for delivery workers with charging stations and other amenities – although they can be used during the day and do not offer overnight charging.

Councilmember Gale Brewer, who sponsored legislation banning the sale of used batteries, said she recognized that new batteries can be very expensive for delivery personnel.

“You know, they do, you know, the work of God, so to speak, because New Yorkers love having food delivered,” she said. “So now the question is how do they get new batteries that don’t cause fires?”

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