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The City of New York is grappling with a problem — fire. Specifically, escooter and ebike lithium-ion batteries catch fire and sometimes explode. And there’s no sign of it ending anytime soon.To get more news about ebike battery charging, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.

Earlier this year, I wrote an introductory article detailing the rate of lithium-ion battery fires. Today I want to look at New York as a cautionary tale in the struggle of dealing with battery fires as ebikes (and, to a lesser extent, escooters) become mainstream. In the case of ebikes and escooter fires, there are numerous causes. Firstly, when we talk about a lithium-ion ebike or escooter battery, we’re talking about a bunch of connected batteries stored in a plastic case. A huge amount of energy resides in this small space.

Once a battery overheats, it can lead to a thermal reaction inside a battery. This is known as a thermal runway event. The reaction produces enough heat to cause adjacent battery cells to also catch fire or explode.

These fires happen incredibly quickly, and due to the self-sustaining process of thermal runaway, Lithium battery fires are also difficult to extinguish. They can leak toxic chemicals dangerous to people and pets.

Large batteries such as those used in Electric Vehicles can reignite hours or even days after the event, even after being extinguished. Fortunately, this is far less common in ebikes and escooters. The problem in New York
To date this year, 130 reported fires involving lithium-ion batteries in electric bikes and scooters in New York have been reported. Five people died. Comparatively, this time last year saw only 65 ebike and escooter battery fires.

It’s worth stressing that these fires make up only a small percentage of all blazes in New York. It’s also highly likely that the growth in ebikes and escooters residing in the city is responsible for the increase.

But the fires are still a cause for concern, resulting in property damage, injuries, and less frequently, death. The ferociousness of a lithium-ion battery fires means multiple trucks are called, diverting attention away from other emergency services.

Further, the fires are indicative of a bigger issue facing the city.

New York has over 65,000 delivery workers, many of whom use ebikes. Gig economy workers take their ebike to limits beyond a daily commute, with all the risks outsourced to the riders.
Ebikes are ridden for hours at a pop and in extreme weather conditions such as high heat, rain, hurricanes, and snow, all of which can degrade a battery casing, increasing the likelihood of battery damage.

For many riders, the only place they charge is at home in their cheap apartment. The problem compounds when delivery workers share apartments, store their ebikes inside, and all charge their batteries overnight. And in a long shift, a rider may need more than one battery.

Earlier this year, journalist Wilfred Chan visited an ebike shop in New York equipped with powerboards charging multiple batteries for delivery riders. Staff offered her a charging spot for $50 a month.
Is cost-efficiency to blame?
Except for some rental schemes I’ll share with you tomorrow, most riders have to pay for their own bikes, batteries, and chargers, making cheap or second-hand ebikes, and batteries appealing.

Reputable brands undergo extensive performance and safety testing to comply with UL solutions UL 2849, the Standard for Electrical Systems for eBikes. However, black market or cheap purchases may not include a certified Battery Management System that stops charging when a battery is full or overheating.

According to David TenHouten, VP, of vehicle engineering at micromobility company Bird, there’s also an issue of how far an operator pushes the boundaries within the safe cell parameters.