Fires ensuing from the charging of defective electrical mobility batteries have been plaguing a lot of denser city cities lately. New York Metropolis, probably the most populous metropolis within the U.S., as an illustration, has seen greater than 100 fires and 13 deaths in 2023 alone. Worst of all, fires began from lithium-ion battery packs may be extremely tough to extinguish, and sometimes outcome within the fires spreading uncontrollably. 

Now, we beforehand talked about New York Metropolis passing a legislation requiring all e-bikes offered to have undergone UL certification. Whereas that is certainly a step in the best course, this does not tackle the doubtless tens if not a whole bunch of 1000’s of e-bikes already on the road – plenty of these of the cheaper selection devoid of any security certification in anyway. Alongside the regulation of e-bike batteries, New York Metropolis officers lately introduced that $25 million shall be offered by the federal authorities to fund the development of e-bike charging  stations throughout town. 

In a information report by ABC Information, Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged that the charging stations will present a secure place for supply personnel counting on their electrical bicycles to cost their batteries on the go. “Because of this residents will not have to cost the e-bikes of their residences — what we discover to be extraordinarily harmful, notably whenever you cost them in a single day,” he acknowledged in a information convention on Sunday, June 25, 2023. 

In the identical convention, senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand joined Mayor Eric Adams in the course of the announcement. Based on Schumer, the funds will allow town to put in as much as 173 charging and storage stations at 53 out of doors areas. On high of this, town is searching for further funding with a view to set up much more charging stations for supply personnel who depend on e-bikes. In whole, town hopes to put in 327 charging stations. 

Alongside the announcement, fireplace officers have been given the directive to accentuate their operations cracking down on complaints about e-bike batteries. If prior to now, fireplace officers had three days to reply to complains, now, they have to achieve this in simply 12 hours. In 2023 alone, town has already issued practically 500 citations associated to e-bike batteries, with fines and penalties ranging between $1,000 and $5,000 – fairly some huge cash for supply personnel who depend on low wages and suggestions for his or her each day sustenance.