NEW YORK – A weekend fire that injured more than three dozen people, and forced firefighters to use ropes to pull people out of a 20th floor window, put electric bicycles under observation. of the batteries that would have caused these fires.
City officials are considering new laws after firefighters counted nearly 200 fires and six fire deaths this year related to problems with lithium-ion batteries in such “micromobility” devices.
WHAT ARE LITHIUM BATTERIES AND WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR?
Lithium-ion batteries are a Nobel Prize-winning innovation that entered the market in the early 1990s. Hailed as rechargeable, lightweight, powerful, durable and safe, batteries were conceived as a key to making the world more green. storing energy, including from the sun, wind and other renewable sources.
Technology has made its way into many people’s daily lives, powering phones, laptops, vehicles, and more.
THE THOUSAND QUESTIONOhN: WHY CAN THEY catch fire?
Battery electrolyte, a solution that allows electric current to flow, is flammable, explains Dr. Donald Sadoway, professor of materials chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The substance was chosen for its ability to handle the voltage involved, but fires can occur if batteries are overcharged, overheated, defective or damaged, for example.
Over the years, the problems have periodically ignited fires involving laptops, cell phones, hoverboards, electric vehicles, airplanes, and battery energy storage facilities. A United Nations aviation agency said in 2016 that lithium-ion batteries should not be shipped on passenger aircraft.
James Greenberger, leader of the battery industry group, points out that other power sources are not without problems, stating that there is nothing inherently dangerous about batteries. But he said the industry is worried about the latest fires in New York and fears they might scare consumers.
“This shouldn’t happen and we need to find out what’s going on,” said Greenberger, executive director of NAATBatt, the North American trade association for developers, manufacturers and users of advanced battery technologies.
WHY ARE ELECTRIC BIKES AND SCOOTERS IN THE NEW YORK STUDIO?
The city has seen “an exponential increase” in fires involving defective lithium-ion batteries in recent years, fire chief Daniel Flynn said. He said there have already been more deaths and injuries this year than in the past three years combined.
“It’s a big deal,” he said at a press conference Monday, describing the fires that strike without warning, grow rapidly and are difficult to extinguish.
The batteries “fail almost explosively, it’s like a blowtorch,” he said.
Saturday fire in a Manhattan apartment it was triggered by a malfunctioning battery in an electric bicycle that residents were trying to charge and left unattended while they slept, he said. They were trapped when the battery, connected to the front door, caught fire, Flynn said.
Electric bicycles and scooters have become popular forms because they don’t burn gasoline and are often used for deliveries, commuting and commuting in a city that has been promoting cycling in recent decades. For the “delivery guys” who carry orders to the restaurant, bicycles are crucial tools of the trade.
“What these workers have learned over the years, and they know it well, is that, like any equipment, it requires the necessary maintenance,” said Hildalyn Colón Hernández, spokesperson for the Los Deliveristas Unidos labor advocacy group. . She said many workers have used her batteries for years without any problems.
WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM?
There are different opinions. Greenberger, the director of the industry group, suggests there is little quality control on some of the mostly imported batteries. Sadoway, the scientist, believes that “we don’t have adequate protections” in electric bikes and scooters to monitor battery problems.
Colón Hernández, the advocate for delivery workers, believes that stricter standards are needed on batteries, such as regulations for companies that sell or service them.
WHAT DOES THE CITY OF NEW YORK DO IN THIS CASE?
Over the past year, firefighters have issued warnings and safety warnings several times. In August, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh asked the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission to consider new regulations. Mayor Eric Adams again pointed the finger at the CPSC on Monday.
“The responsibility for navigating safe and unsafe batteries on the market should not lie with hard-working New Yorkers,” the mayor, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Some citizen lawmakers want to take their own steps.
A city council commission has set a hearing for November 14 on several proposals. Some would require public education campaigns or safety reports. Another would prohibit the sale of some second-hand lithium-ion batteries, or electric bike or scooter batteries without certain seals of approval.
Meanwhile, firefighters continue to urge everyone not to leave batteries unattended for charging, to check for damage or near a heat source, and to ensure that batteries, chargers, cables and devices are safe. is used. as indicated.
“We understand the benefits these batteries are for our communities and we want to encourage their use, but with safe use,” said Flynn. “So understand that it poses a danger and use them safely.”
