How to Prevent an Electric-Bike Fire

Benjamin Preston
·3 min read

Lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous, but they don't have to be, fire officials say

By Benjamin Preston

New York City has had a sharp increase in electric-bike fires over the past couple of years, so fire officials there offer some tips to keep the lithium-ion batteries on the bikes from overheating and catching on fire.

Ownership of electric bikes has skyrocketed in New York since the pandemic began, and with it, electric-bike fires, according to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). There were more than 100 e-mobility device fires in 2021—about double the year before—and as of Oct. 21, 2022, there have been 174, officials said. The fires have caused 93 injuries and six deaths this year.

The aftermath of an e-bike fire.

Source: FDNY

When the fires began ramping up last year, Daniel Nigro, then the FDNY commissioner, said that the problem hadn’t started with lithium-ion battery-powered phones but with the proliferation of electric bikes.

Of course, electric bicycles are nothing new in America’s most populous city—delivery workers there have been whizzing around on them for years now. But around the rest of the country, the rise in electric-bike sales is tantamount to a craze, growing 240 percent nationally in 2021, according to NPD, a firm that tracks the bicycle industry.

“The e-bikes people are buying now are probably a lot newer and better technology than some of the older stuff that delivery riders in the city have been using and abusing for years,” says Adam Vale Da Serra, manager of Cutting Edge bike shop in Berlin, Conn. “I’ve heard nothing locally about e-bike fires among mountain bikes and road bikes.”

An e-bike that caught fire on a New York City street.

Source: FDNY

Fire Prevention Tips

Follow these electric-bike safety tips from the FDNY. The same advice applies to any device powered by a lithium-ion battery, whether it’s a phone, tablet, or robotic vacuum cleaner.

  • Buy an electric bike that is certified by a qualified testing laboratory.

  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and storage.

  • Always use the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter made specifically for the bike.

  • Do not leave an electric bike unattended while it’s charging, and don’t leave it charging overnight.

  • If a battery overheats or you notice an odor, a change in shape or color, leaking, or odd noises, stop using it immediately.

  • If the battery reacts in an alarming way, and it is safe to do so, move the device away from anything that can catch fire and call 911.

  • Keep batteries and devices at room temperature. Do not place them in direct sunlight.

  • Store batteries away from anything flammable.

  • Do not use aftermarket batteries.

  • Do not charge an electronic device under your pillow, on your bed, or near a couch.

  • Do not block your primary way into and out of the building with an e-bike.

  • Do not leave an e-bike in a child’s room.

FDNY officials also say that when you need to dispose of a used rechargeable or lithium-ion battery, it’s illegal in many places (including New York City) to throw one out with the regular trash or recycling. Old batteries should be taken to a facility that recycles batteries. Learn more about battery recycling.

“You can find lithium-ion batteries in all sorts of products today that didn’t have them before,” says William Wallace, CR’s manager of safety policy. “As technologies advance and help people in their daily lives, it’s critically important for all manufacturers—including those that make e-bikes—to comply with battery safety standards and have products tested by a third party."



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