In response to a surge in deadly e-bike battery fires, New York City is allocating $25 million to install safe charging stations within public housing projects. A total of 173 e-bike charging stations will be set up at 53 NYCHA sites. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer supports this initiative, stating it will save lives and enhance the safety of these devices. This project comes in the wake of an alarming increase in lithium-ion battery-related fires.
E-bike battery fires have highlighted the urgent need to improve safety standards and practices. So far this year, 13 New Yorkers have lost their lives and 71 others were injured in these fires. The funds for the new stations derive from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “RAISE” grant program.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand emphasizes that the project will help save lives and reduce carbon emissions by providing safe, accessible charging infrastructure for low-income NYCHA residents. Mayor Adams has also announced various efforts to tackle e-bike battery fires, including new storage and charging sites and an FDNY informational campaign. The NYCHA charging stations are set to be implemented around the end of the year.
Recent tragedies involving e-bike battery fires have devastated communities, with four lives lost in last week's Chinatown e-bike repair shop fire and additional fatal incidents in Upper Manhattan and Astoria, Queens. The FDNY has been urging the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission to take action against faulty e-bike batteries. Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh suggests strict measures, such as banning the sale of 'universal' battery chargers and closely examining imported devices that fail to meet industry standards.
