The first Swiftmile charging station for electric bicycles has been inaugurated in Cooper Square, New York. — AFP Relaxnews
In response to the numerous cases of fires caused by exploding lithium-ion batteries, New York City Council has decided to launch a new pilot programme of secure outdoor recharging stations. The initiative is aimed initially at delivery workers.
The lithium-ion batteries that power electric bikes and can be easily charged at home via any household socket. However, they are the source of many dramatic incidents. In New York alone, in 2023, these batteries started 268 fires that killed 18 people and injured 150 others. In 2024, 31 lithium battery fires have been recorded in the first two months of the year, according to the New York Times.
To remedy this situation, public charging stations for electric bikes are to be installed throughout the city. For the time being, this solution is reserved for delivery workers and will involve five charging stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The first station was recently inaugurated at Cooper Square in the East Village.
The aim of this pilot programme is to offer an alternative to charging electric bicycle batteries inside apartments, homes and businesses, where overheating and explosion of these devices can have dramatic consequences.
The safest place to charge your battery is outside. These charging stations have been designed to automatically cut the power supply once the battery is fully charged. As well as avoiding the risk of overheating and fire, this can also help extend battery life.
At the end of 2023, the city council passed legislation aimed at stepping up penalties for the illegal sale of non-compliant batteries, and requiring vendors to display additional information on the safety of the batteries they offer, both in-store and online.
Meanwhile, more and more US college campuses are banning electric bikes and scooters altogether, in view of the growing number of fires caused by overheating batteries. – AFP Relaxnews
