By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — More people across the country, especially in larger cities, are using e-bikes and scooters for a convenient, cheap way to get around.
Sales for e-bikes and scooters have skyrocketed in recent years, however, so have safety concerns over the batteries that power them.
“This is something that people need to be aware of and mindful of,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy (R- NY).
New York lawmakers including Rep. Langworthy are concerned about the online sale of so-called “micromobility devices” with improperly manufactured lithium-ion batteries.
“Where you get a suspect Chinese vendor that’s selling a substandard product with a potentially dangerous lithium-ion battery,” said Langworthy.
Fire incidents related to these devices are growing in cities where they’ve become popular. According to the New York City Fire Department (NYFD), rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 800 fires since 2021, resulting in over 450 injuries, 34 death and damage to hundreds of structures.
In 2024, there were 279 e-bike and e-mobility device battery fires in the city, a huge increase from the 44 that occurred in 2020.
“In a very densely populated area, there might be a bike shop under an apartment building,” said Langworthy, who was informed of the issue after meeting with members of FDNY on Capitol Hill. “They gave me several examples of that, with pictures where in the bike shop, there’s 200 e-bikes or scooters that have a lithium-ion battery. And if one catches fire, the whole place goes up in a raging inferno that our firefighters can’t easily put out.”
Lawmakers are looking to get the conversation rolling with a bipartisan bill to create the first-ever mandatory consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and other micromobility devices.
“We want a standard on the product quality coming into the United States on this. We don’t just want whatever the cheapest Chinese knock-off of a quality American product is on these e-bikes,” said Langworthy.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D- NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) are also leading the bipartisan effort.
“We are in a time where technology is outpacing federal safety action in many ways, moving faster than the measures we need to keep the public safe, and there might be no better example of this dilemma than with the cheap, China-made lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters and other devices,” said Leader Schumer in a statement.
“Far too many innocent lives have been lost in New York City and across the country to fires caused by faulty and improperly manufactured lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and other micromobility devices,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act is a commonsense solution that brings us one step closer to stopping preventable fires, and I encourage my congressional colleagues to pass this bipartisan bill and create the first-ever mandatory consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices.”
“The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-ion Batteries Act” passed the House in 2024 with overwhelming support by a 378-34 vote.
Congressman Langworthy said local volunteer fire services in his district have also seen a rise in lithium-ion battery-related fires.
