NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday unveiled his new plan to help counties prevent fires caused by lithium batteries.
The plan, titled “Charge Safe, Ride Safe: New York City’s Electric Micromobility Action Plan” is set up to not only help protect New Yorkers from fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, but also to promote the safe use of electric micromobility.
The plan focuses on four key areas: promoting and incentivizing the safe use of batteries, increasing education and outreach to users of electric micromobility, advocating for additional federal regulation of these devices, and expanding application against high-risk situations.
Mayor Adams also signed five bills into law to further regulate lithium-ion batteries sold in New York City and strengthen fire safety related to battery fires.
“Today, we are enhancing the safety of all of our electric bike and electric scooter users,” said Mayor Adams. “These are convenient transportation options for New Yorkers, but faulty and illegal devices are making their way into our homes and streets, starting fires and putting lives at risk. Through promoting safe devices, expanding education, increasing enforcement in high-risk situations, and pursuing additional regulations, I am proud that New York City is leading that change. Electric bikes and electric scooters are here to stay, and with this plan and these five critical laws that I am proud to sign, we will make sure they are safe for all New Yorkers to use.”
Electric bikes and electric scooters are an affordable and convenient alternative to cars and are essential for delivery drivers and other New Yorkers who depend on this mode of transportation for their livelihood. However, these new transportation options have also brought serious challenges with regard to fire hazards.
Fires caused by the batteries that power e-micromobility devices are a significant problem in New York City, increasing from 44 in 2020 to 220 in 2022, according to the mayor’s office. These fires are particularly severe and difficult to extinguish, spread quickly, and produce noxious fumes. From 2021 to 2022, these fires caused 10 deaths and 226 injuries.
In the first two months of 2023 alone, they resulted in two deaths and 40 injuries, posing a clear danger to New Yorkers when not used properly.
The plan “Load safe, Travel safe” identifies four pillars to achieve the administration’s goals for safer e-micromobility and a safer city:
Supporting the transition of New Yorkers to the safe and legal use of e-micromobility
Through innovative pilot programs and testing of new technologies for storing and charging lithium-ion batteries, the City will support the transition of New Yorkers to the safe and legal use of e-micromobility by:
- Work with New York State to design and implement a program that incentivizes the purchase of safe and legal electric micromobility devices;
- Continue to work at the country’s leading delivery centers to provide delivery workers with safe places to rest and charge their devices throughout the city;
- Pilot secure outdoor e-micromobility charging and storage solutions at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, and apply for federal grant funding to support this work; and
- Identify, test, and evaluate the most promising public-facing battery charging solutions through the 2023 DOT Studio Challenge. This initiative will invite startups that specialize in e-micromobility charging technology to deploy their products in locations that support food delivery workers. The City will also test and evaluate fire safety and prevention equipment for homes and commercial settings.
Increase education and outreach on the safe use of devices
The City will expand education and outreach efforts around the safe use, storage, and charging practices of e-micromobility by:
- Expand engagement to immigrant and worker communities, focusing on the communities most affected by these fires;
- Working to provide e-micromobility and lithium-ion battery safety training through New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) Ready NY platforms, as well as directly to NYCEM Community Emergency Response Teams to reach New Yorkers every day, plus certified emergency responders; and
- Launch of a series, in partnership with Los Deliveristas Unidos, to train communities on fire safety best practices regarding lithium-ion batteries and e-micromobility.
Strengthen regulation and enforcement against illegal device use
In addition to the legislation Mayor Adams signed today, the City will continue to advocate for additional regulation for these devices and strengthen enforcement against illegal device use by:
- Create a fire marshal task force focused on identifying fire code violators. The task force will use data to identify potential violators and high-risk situations or “hot spots” that will be subject to disclosure and inspection for compliance with existing fire codes;
- Continue to advocate with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and other federal partners to ensure that devices on New York City shelves, both virtual and physical, meet applicable security standards; and
- Pursue partnerships with local, state, and federal partners to further investigate the health impacts of first responders handling lithium-ion batteries, which can be extremely toxic when burned.
Promoting the growth of safe electric micromobility and cycling
New York City is a leader in sustainable transportation, and electric micromobility is a key tool in helping New Yorkers get around efficiently, safely, affordably, and sustainably. In addition to work to prevent battery fires, the City will also work to make it easier and safer to use electric micromobility by:
- Launch a pilot program to allow electric bikes and other legal electric micromobility devices in parks and greenways this summer and
- Update and test different street designs to accommodate the growth of electric micromobility devices on the roads. To further these efforts, DOT recently won a “Safe Streets and Highways for All” grant from the Federal Highway Administration that will be used to develop and test a new generation of street designs and policies.
“We have witnessed the devastation caused by lithium-ion batteries, and the safety and well-being of the residents of our communities is a priority we all share,” said US Representative Adriano Espaillat. “I commend Mayor Adams and city officials for their continued efforts to promote safe and accessible electric micromobility for all New Yorkers.”
