You’ll never guess what the NYC council’s solution to rising instances of e-bike fires is….
If you wind up scratching your head at how this is supposed to solve the problem of a marked increase in fires caused by spontaneously combusting lithium batteries, you’re not alone.
From a CBS report out Monday:
New legislation proposed by Council Member Oswald Feliz would require delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub to provide safe and certified e-bikes to workers who don’t have one.
Then, ABC 7 added this:
The package of bills would require delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats to provide workers with safe and certified e-bikes, even though they are independent contractors.
It’s part of an effort to address the fire safety concerns that some uncertified e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries pose [emphasis added].
Unreliable and dangerous technology creating serious fire hazards and a record number of deadly incidents? Naturally, the political response from the Democrats would be more of these tinderboxes. Now, either through ignorance or intention, the reporter fails to acknowledge that lithium-ion batteries across the board are highly flammable, and while e-bike or e-scooters held to higher standards (certified) absolutely have the potential to result in fewer issues, you only achieve best case circumstances (fewer or zero fires) if the user follows the manufacturer’s guidelines. Otherwise… it’s all moot.
Below is a list of rules, which apply to all lithium-powered devices (even certified ones), to mitigate the chance of spontaneous combustion; from TechCrunch:
Don’t use an extension cord.
Don’t overcharge, or “keep them between 10% and 80%” if you can. (Yes, seriously.)
Only use a charger from the same manufacturer.
Don’t place the device in direct sunlight.
Don’t charge if the battery got wet.
Don’t ride e-bikes in temperatures below -5° Fahrenheit.
Don’t charge near an exit, because in the event it explodes, you have an escape route.
Do they actually expect every food delivery man to follow all those rules? I don’t.
You may be a little out of the loop, but New York City has experienced a conspicuous surge in fires caused by the lithium batteries used for e-bikes and e-scooters. In April of this year, I blogged about another story of an exploding e-bike leading to the deaths of two children; in June, four people died when a blaze broke out at an e-bike store; and just this past weekend, a fire erupted at a Brooklyn warehouse where hundreds of new and unused e-bikes (the suspected culprit) were being stored. Also from ABC:
City Council members say so far this year there have been 208 fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries, resulting in 14 deaths and 116 injuries.
Now, this is all somewhat besides the point, because it really comes down to one question: why do politicians have any right to dictate that private enterprises supply transportation for independent contractors who are consensually agreeing to provide their services to the hiring company?
The government meddling in the private sector demanding a say in business operations? Gee, what could go wrong?
Here’s an idea, and it’s even greener than an e-bike: everyone just go back to basics... and peddle the darn bike like a normal person.
Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.