Electric Bikes Have a Small Problem: They Keep Exploding

The Fire Department of New York has investigated 174 e-bike battery fires so far in 2022, which is going on double from 2021, and quadruple from 2020. The primary factor in these fires is the e-bikes’ lithium ion batteries, combined with the fallibility of charging equipment. The batteries have also been known to leak electrolytes from the battery’s core, which can sets off a dangerous chain reaction resulting in a blaze. The problem is linked by residents’ growing hunger for delivery, which has fueled the bikes’ meteoric rise. The city council proposal to ban the sale of used batteries within city limits has been proposed by some advocates, including Mayor Eric Adams and Councilmember Gale Brewer, is one of the city council members. . . .