Uber to fight US e-bike fires

In response to a series of incidents in which low-cost e-bikes used by delivery workers caught fire in New York City, Uber is funding a buy-back programme to get unsafe batteries off the city’s streets.

Through partnerships with e-bike company Zoomo and the non-profit Equitable Commute Project, couriers will be able to trade in old e-bikes for credit towards a new one, The Micromobility Newsletter reports.

Uber’s initiative is a creative way to ensure deliveries keep flowing as many cities consider e-bike restrictions, it adds.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said late last year it had reports of more than 200 incidents since the start of 2021 in which micromobility devices caught fire or overheated – reportedly leading to 19 deaths.

Meanwhile, New York City is considering new e-bike safety bills, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News reports.

New York City businesses using e-bikes for commercial purposes would have to provide workers with fireproof or fire-resistant containers to charge and store removable batteries under one bill.

The second would aim to establish a programme to provide reduced- or no-cost lithium-ion batteries.

These come after New York City mayor Eric Adams signed into law a lithium-ion battery safety package that included prohibiting the sale of e-bikes — and other powered mobility devices like e-scooters and batteries — that don’t meet recognised certification, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News explains.

“In the aftermath of Paris’s decision to ban shared e-scooters, many are wondering, where is micromobility regulation going next?” asks The Micromobility Newsletter, which will examine the regulatory framework for shared scooters, bikes, moped and other e-mobility along with the need to balance public safety with innovation in its April 25 webinar at 9pm New Zealand time.