NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Mayor Eric Adams plans to sign a new law on Friday to help reduce fires caused by lithium-ion batteries following more than 200 fires last year.
The new law will let people swap their old e-bikes and batteries for new ones, either for free or at a lower cost.
The program, which kicked off on Sept. 14, is meant to help people easily trade their e-bikes, used batteries and other mobility devices that don’t meet fire safety standards.
For New Yorkers this means, if someone has an e-bike, battery, or mobility device that is not safe, they can trade it in through this program. In exchange, they can receive safe, lithium-ion batteries and devices like r-bikes and scooters approved by the city.
"It really is an explosion more so than it is a smoldering fire as you would often think,” FDNY commissioner Laura Kavanagh explained during a press conference in June. “So, you see the volume of fire that occurs immediately upon explosion. It can make it impossible in that moment. You often hear us say that early warning is the best way to save yourselves from a fire. That is not the case with e-bikes. There is so much fire created that it can often be too late as soon as the fire has begun."
Besides the trade-in program, the city is also stopping the sale and rent of e-bikes that aren’t approved as safe.
They are making sure stores in the city and online sellers like Amazon follow this rule.