Fire Dept. Targets E-Bike Shops in Crackdown on Battery Hazards

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New York City fire and building officials shut down an e-bike shop in Manhattan this week after finding more than 100 lithium-ion batteries inside, part of a crackdown on unsafe battery conditions after a recent blaze at an e-bike shop killed four people.

The building at 91 Canal Street, which includes residential apartments above the e-bike shop, was also vacated after officials found numerous safety and building violations, including damaged batteries and overloaded power strips.

Several of the batteries caught fire as they were being removed.

“This location was essentially a ticking time bomb,” the fire commissioner, Laura Kavanagh, said at a news conference on Thursday.

The Fire Department has been targeting hazardous lithium battery conditions at e-bike shops since the deadly blaze last week, also in Chinatown.

Since then, the department’s fire prevention unit and local fire companies have conducted nearly 180 inspections of e-bike and e-bike repair shops, resulting in dozens of violations and summonses.

“We are not kidding around as you can see here,” Commissioner Kavanagh said. “We will continue to inspect and reinspect locations to ensure batteries are being used safely.”

Why It Matters

Lithium-ion batteries have become a leading cause of fatal fires in New York City in the past three years as e-mobility devices powered by the highly flammable batteries have proliferated. The fast-moving fires are particularly dangerous because they can explode with little or no warning.

There have been 113 lithium battery fires in the city so far this year, killing 13 people and injuring 71 others.

Since 2021, 23 people have died in lithium battery fires in New York.

Background

New York City has become the epicenter for lithium battery fires, in part because of its density and lack of space, which have forced many e-bike users to store and charge the batteries inside their apartments. Most lithium battery fires have broken out in residential buildings.

Still, some of the more hazardous conditions have been found at e-bike shops, including some that have run illegal battery charging stations and sold refurbished batteries.

What’s Next

Beginning in September, New York will become the first city in the nation to prohibit the sale of e-bikes and lithium batteries that have not met recognized safety standards.

Commissioner Kavanagh pledged on Thursday to continue the crackdown on hazardous battery conditions at e-bike shops and other businesses.

“If you are operating a business that is in any way improperly charging, storing or tampering with lithium ion batteries, we will find you,” she said.

She also urged people to report any unsafe battery conditions to the city’s 311 hotline, promising a response within 12 hours.