By Forum Staff
City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh on Friday sent a letter to online-retailer Amazon, urging the retail giant to make sure it only sells lithium-ion batteries and powered micro-mobility devices that meet legal safety standards.
NYC Local law 39 —which went into effect Sept. 16, 2023 — prohibits the sale, lease, rental, or distribution of powered micro-mobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters, unless the electrical systems and batteries for the devices have been certified by an accredited testing laboratory for compliance with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard.
“As a global leader in e-commerce, Amazon has a crucial role to play in promoting safety and responsibility when it comes to the sale of e-micromobility devices,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “All retailers are expected to follow the law by only selling lithium-ion batteries and powered micro-mobility devices that meet legal safety standards as we set a precedent for a safer, smarter, and more sustainable future in New York City.”
File Photo
Lithium-ion battery fires have caused 14 deaths this year across the five boroughs.
Members of the Adams administration met with Amazon executives this spring and were encouraged by the response that Amazon’s team is in the process of updating its policy and controls to align with the new law.
As I recently noted in testimony before the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the New York City Fire Department has been carefully tracking the increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in micro-mobility devices,” Kavanagh wrote. “These batteries are commonly found in e-bikes, e-scooters, and other devices such as electric skateboards and hoverboards. The recent upward trend of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries has had a devastating effect on New Yorkers. We have reached a point of crisis: FDNY has already responded to 101 injuries stemming from micro-mobility device fires in 2023. With 14 deaths to date this year, lithium-ion batteries are now a top cause of fatal fires in New York.”
