A federal watchdog urged consumers on Monday to immediately stop using and safely dispose of two models of lithium-ion batteries made for a popular e-bike brand, warning of serious fire risks.
The lithium-ion batteries, model numbers RP-1304 and HL-RP-S1304, are found in models made by Rad Power Bikes and have been linked to 31 reports of fire, including 12 reports of property damage totaling approximately $734,500, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a news release.
Some of these episodes occurred when the batteries were not charging or in use, the agency said. The batteries can “unexpectedly ignite and explode, posing a fire hazard to consumers,” especially when a battery or a harness is exposed to water or debris, according to the agency.
A spokeswoman for Rad Power Bikes, which is based in Seattle, said in a statement that the 31 reported incidents were out of “100,000-plus batteries, a fraction of a percent of total batteries sold.”
“Rad Power Bikes firmly stands behind our batteries and our reputation as leaders in the e-bike industry, and strongly disagrees with the C.P.S.C.’s characterization of certain Rad batteries as defective or unsafe,” the company said in a statement posted on its site.
Rad Power also said its batteries met or exceeded the highest industry standards.
The safety agency said the batteries, which are manufactured in China, were sold both as original and replacement batteries for several Rad Power e-bike models, including: RadWagon 4, RadCity HS 4, RadRover High Step 5, RadCity Step Thru 3, RadRover Step Thru 1, RadRunner 2, RadRunner 1, RadRunner Plus and RadExpand 5. It was unclear how many of the batteries are in use around the United States.
The batteries, which cost about $550 as replacements, were sold on RadPowerBikes.com and at retailers nationwide, including Best Buy stores and independent bike shops, the agency said.
The agency advised consumers to immediately stop using the batteries and to contact a household hazardous waste collection center or their municipality for guidance on safe disposal.
Owners can find the model number on the back or rear of a battery, the agency said, warning them: “Do not sell or give away these hazardous batteries.”
Consumers will not be refunded or offered replacement batteries by Rad Power Bikes, the agency said, citing the company’s finances and cost of a full recall.
Rad Power Bikes was founded in 2007 by Mike Radenbaugh, when he was a high school student in Humboldt County, Calif. According to its website, Rad Power Bikes is the largest e-bike company in North America, with more than 450,000 customers.
E-bikes and scooters have cropped up around the country in recent years, particularly in dense cities like New York. But the lithium-ion batteries that power these devices are especially dangerous because of their ability to spark explosive, fast-moving fires when they malfunction or overheat, officials say.
Lithium-ion battery fires killed 18 people in New York City in 2023, including four people in a blaze that started in an e-bike store in Chinatown.
The city has undertaken several efforts to prevent fires from lithium-ion batteries, including by developing a network of outdoor e-bike charging stations, banning the sale of e-mobility devices that have not been certified for safety, increasing inspections of bike shops and rolling out a public safety campaign in 10 languages about the dangers of lithium-ion battery.
The post Serious Fire Risk Warning Is Issued for E-Bike Batteries appeared first on New York Times.
