E-bike Battery Fire. Electric vehicles have become increasingly popular in the US automotive market in recent years. According to a recent report, America’s largest growing electric vehicle sector is not big-name auto manufacturers like Tesla and Ford—It’s electric bikes (E-bikes). In 2021, E-bikes reportedly sold over 500,000 units in the US and are expected to gain 13% by the end of 2022. In New York, E-bikes have become a common form of transportation. However, recently, there have been an alarming number of E-bike battery fires in NYC. If you operate an E-bike in New York, you may be at risk for an E-bike battery fire injury.
E-bike Batteries Can Overheat, Causing Explosions
In New York, thousands of couriers and other drivers have opted to use E-bikes to get around the densely populated city. These compact motor vehicles are affordable and run on electricity rather than expensive gasoline. However, E-bikes are powered by lithium-ion batteries. When these batteries overheat, they can explode. When E-bikes and their battery chargers are matched, the bike’s charger will automatically shut off when charged.
However, when an E-bike’s battery is mismatched with a charger, the battery will often continue to heat up without shutting off. When a battery overheats, An e-bike battery fire can also occur when highly flammable electrolyte inside a battery’s cells leak from the casing and ignites.
New York E-bike Fires are Climbing
According to a recent report, at the end of October, the city fire department (FDNY) investigated 174 E-bike battery fires in 2022. This figure represented a sharp rise in the number of E-bike fires in 2021 (104) and quadrupled the number from 2020 (44). In 2022, 6 New Yorkers died in E-bike-related fires, and 93 people were injured. This is a rise from 4 death and 79 injuries last year.
FDNY fire marshal Dan Flynn said that when, “These bikes, when they fail, they fail like a blowtorch.” Flynn said that his department had “seen incidents where people have described them as explosive — incidents where they actually have so much power, they’re actually blowing walls down between rooms and apartments.”
E-bike fires have occurred in other major cities, but they appear to be a particular threat in NYC due to the prevalence of apartment living and take-out delivery. This is because couriers often store and charge their vehicles in their apartments, creating a fire hazard for them and their neighbors. Over the summer, the NYC Housing Authority proposed banning E-bikes and their batteries from its 2,600 buildings. However, the proposed action was met with strong opposition. Currently, city leaders are continuing to work on solutions for this increasingly dangerous problem.
What Causes New York E-bike Fires?
E-bike fires are typically caused by the battery igniting. Some common causes of lithium-ion battery explosions include:
- Exposure of the battery to intense heat
- Manufacturing or design flaws
- Battery damage leading to a short
- Mismatched charger and battery
E-Bike fires can also occur because of another’s improper vehicle maintenance or faulty battery. If an E-Bike battery fire has injured you, you should obtain medical assistance immediately. Once you are stable, you will need the assistance of an experienced New York personal injury attorney. Your personal injury lawyer can help you get compensation for your E-bike fire-related medical bills, property damage, lost wages and time at work, and other damages.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one have been harmed in an E-bike fire, you should schedule a free consultation with the experienced attorneys at Bonina & Bonina, PC. Call us at 1888-MEDLAW1 or contact us online for a free consultation. We have experience helping clients with product liability and personal injury cases, and we can explain your options and help you decide what actions you should take. At Bonina & Bonina, PC, we come to work daily believing there should be equal justice for all. Se Habla Espaňol. Home and hospital visits are available.