ALBANY, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Fires and accidents involving lithium-ion battery devices have been on the rise in New York City, and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a package of bills on Thursday that more closely regulates the use of e-bikes, mopeds and scooters.
When handled incorrectly, lithium-ion batteries can erupt with lethal consequences. An example of this destruction, referenced by Hochul at a press conference in Albany, was the death of 27-year-old Fazil Khan in a lithium-ion battery fire at a Harlem apartment building this past February. The blaze also injured 17 others.
“In New York City alone, lithium-ion batteries sparked 268 fires that injured 150 people and claimed 18 lives,” the governor said. “You know what the number was just a couple years ago? Zero. Zero people lost their lives.”
The legislation—supported by top NYC officials and an array of state agency heads, senators and assemblymembers—prohibits the sale of lithium-ion batteries that do not meet manufacturing standards, and directs state agencies to develop safety resources and protocols for fire prevention, including additional training for first responders.
“Shoddy lithium-ion batteries have quickly become one of the most dangerous objects in our city,” Hochul said. “Without warning, they can malfunction, overheat, ignite, and explode, causing this level of destruction. They're often uncertified, poorly made, sold with no clear safety instructions or recommended precautions.”
The onus of prioritizing safety is being further pushed onto retailers, who under the new laws must provide operating manuals for devices using lithium-ion batteries and secure red tags to charging cords stating to unplug when not in use.
Mopeds must also be registered by dealers at point of sale, contributing to city operations aimed at reducing the prevalence of illegal scooters on the street.
“Many unregistered scooters and limited-use motorcycles not only pose a risk to pedestrians and other motorists when driven recklessly, but also diminish safety along New York City’s tourist and commercial corridors because they facilitate chain-snatching, armed robberies, and other violence,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said, noting that the “commonsense law” will halt the problem at point of purchase.
Future accidents involving e-bikes or e-scooters resulting in injury or death will now require reports to be filed, meeting existent state standards for motor vehicle or motorcycle incidents. The new laws also dictate that e-bikes will be required to follow traffic laws and yield to pedestrians.
“Up to now, not enough has been done to educate people, empower them, how to charge a battery, how to store the battery, how to operate the bike safely,” Hochul said. “Here in New York, that changes today.”