Consumer Report: E-Bikes

A street in a busy section of New York City was shut down early Tuesday (6/20), and the sidewalk was covered with a pile of burned-up electric bikes and scooters.

Fire officials suspect that lithium batteries sparked the blaze that spread into the surrounding building, killing several people.

Experts say a lithium battery fire often starts like a small explosion and can cause flames to spread very quickly.

"The volume of fire created by these lithium-ion batteries is incredibly deadly," said Fire Department of New York Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. "Our members responded quickly, but the sheer volume of fire is incredibly dangerous. It can make it nearly impossible to get out in time."

A GROWING PROBLEM

Lithium batteries have been connected to more than 100 fires in New York so far this year, and it's a problem that's spreading across the country. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has seen an increase in reports of these types of fires, as e-bikes and other transportation devices using lithium batteries become more popular.

HOW TO STAY SAFE

Many fires start during charging and experts say it's more likely when consumers use knock-off batteries and chargers. The National Fire Protection Association offers tips for E-bike and E-scooter owners. Click here for those tips.

- Only use batteries and chargers recommended by the manufacturer and certified by a laboratory

- Store E-bikes and E-scooters in a safe area

- Be present when charging, never charge while you are sleeping

"There's a couple of steps there that we can take to make sure that, we try to reduce these numbers of fires," says Brian O'Connor with the National Fire Protection Association.

Congress is now considering legislation that would create a federal safety standard for lithium batteries used in E-bikes and other E-mobility devices. But for now, it's up to consumers to make sure they are buying safe products.