New York’s attempts to mitigate ebike battery fires recently took on yet another complicated layer.
During the week of March 4, 2024, the New York state assembly approved legislation A.4389C,
which (if signed by the Governor) would “prohibit the manufacture, distribution, assembly,
reconditioning or sale of a lithium-ion battery or second-use lithium-ion battery intended for use
in a bicycle with electric assist, a moped, or other micro mobility device unless the lithium-ion
battery is certified by an accredited testing laboratory [UL certified].”
On the one hand, buying used ebikes already comes with its fair share of concerns around
reliability and remaining life of the vehicles, and concerns that the used batteries may actually be
fire hazards is the last thing that potential buyers need. That being said, this legislation feels like
an overcorrection that paints any used battery without UL certification as dangerous and
effectively renders a majority of ebikes on the road today ineligible for resale in the secondary
market. As Andrew Goodell, an Assemblyman that voted against the legislation, points out,
“In New York City there are over 65,000 existing e-bikes just on the deliveries, just with delivery
people. Sixty-five thousand. And the day this bill goes into effect those ebikes cannot be sold in
New York state unless they have a UL certified battery. And these batteries cost upwards of $1,000
apiece.”