As the e-bike market has grown and micromobility has expanded to include not just e-bikes, but e-scooters, e-mopeds, one-wheels and hoverboards, more and more manufacturers have entered the market.
Unfortunately, not all of those manufacturers make quality their
first priority. As a result, there has been a growing number of reports of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. In New York City alone there have been a reported 172 fires and 14 deaths just in 2023 (as of 09/07/2023).
In most cases, these fires have been caused by batteries that are often either cheaply made or repaired by an unauthorized service center (not by e-bikes with quality batteries that
are properly serviced). Even so, consumers have good reason to be concerned.
To explain why these fires are happening, we will examine lithium-ion technology, look back at some of the most high-profile fires, discuss what investigators have found, consider what consumers can do to protect themselves and survey the technologies that may gain acceptance in the near future.
