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NYC is trying to reduce its supply of deadly e-bike batteries: 'We have to keep doing everything we can.'
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 17, 2023
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By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 17, 2023
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New York City is trying to get rid of its supply of dangerous lithium-ion batteries, which can cause deadly fires. But they’re vital to many of the city’s 60,000 delivery workers, who need them to charge the e-bikes they rely on to get around the city.
During a City Council budget hearing on Wednesday, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh referred to the batteries as “unsafe devices in the hands of our citizens” and said that she was trying to inform New Yorkers about the risks they pose.
More people died in fires induced by lithium-ion batteries in the first five months of 2023 than during all last year, Kavanagh said. Last year, e-bike batteries caused six fatalities, according to data provided by the city. These fires are typically spurred by faulty chargers and secondhand or damaged batteries.
The Council is considering a measure that would establish a buyback program so New Yorkers could exchange the lithium-ion batteries in their electric scooters and bikes for safer options at little to no cost. The legislation, which is part of a package of bills addressing these batteries, has the backing of half of the Council.
During the hearing, Kavanagh supported the concept, but said that delivery workers “should not bear the cost for that.”
Kavanagh said the city is unsure of how much a buyback program would cost. The city's need to rethink its approach to these devices is happening alongside a push from Mayor Eric Adams to drastically cut spending in the upcoming plan for the next fiscal year.
In the most recent proposal for the upcoming city budget, Adams allocated $2.3 billion for the FDNY, which is 2.15% of the entire $106.7 billion spending plan.
Kavanagh also said her team is leading a program to educate New Yorkers about the deadly risks associated with e-bikes and e-scooters. She said many residents are still leaving batteries to charge overnight, or in large clusters, practices that are considered unsafe.
“The danger we have is right now people have the unregulated devices in their home,” she said. “Until that danger is mitigated both to New Yorkers and first responders, we have to keep doing everything we can.”
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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