We understand the importance of ensuring e-bikes remain accessible to everyone who uses them, and battery safety is a critical part of that.
We’ve already taken meaningful steps to promote safety, including partnering with reputable providers to make safer devices more accessible for Dashers, working closely with public agencies like the Fire Department of New York to share critical safety information, and advocating for policies that would prioritize e-bike safety.
While we’re proud of the work we’re doing to give Dashers more access to safe, reliable e-bikes, the best and surest way to deal with unsafe batteries is to stop them ever entering the country. That’s why we’re focused on solutions that stop the flood of dangerous batteries and e-bikes, including federal reforms that could help stop these products from making it to the U.S. in the first place.
H.R. 1797 would do just that, requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to set a final consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used to power these e-bikes and help address the root of the issues facing New York City and other major cities. We were proud to submit a letter of support today on H.R. 1797 and help bring us closer to preventing unsafe products from entering the marketplace — an unacceptable outcome that must end.
Shutting down the flow of unsafe batteries will help make families across the country safer, and protect hardworking communities from the hazards that come from shoddy, foreign-manufactured lithium-ion batteries. The “Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act” is necessary to address these loopholes by ensuring that a national safety standard exists.
These fires have unfortunately become more common in New York City, but it’s a growing problem that is not unique to the city alone – it’s a national problem that demands national attention. We are committed to helping policymakers at all levels of government to ensure that e-bikes are a safe, sustainable part of our cities’ future.
