Less than a week after a fire at an e-bike repair shop in Chinatown killed four people, officials announced hundreds of safe e-bike and scooter charging and storage stations will be installed at public housing complexes across the city.
The city will begin installing 173 charging and storage stations at 53 outdoor NYCHA sites across the five boroughs early next year, according to Mayor Eric Adams. Officials said the project aims to help delivery workers and NYCHA residents, and is funded through a $25 million emergency grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“Most lithium-ion batteries and chargers are safe,” said Sen. Kristen Gillibrand. “But we also need to make sure that micro-mobility vehicles are stored and charged safely, so that faulty or improperly-manufactured batteries don’t put people in harm’s way.”
During an inspection last month, the Fire Department failed to identify dangerous, reconditioned batteries that were being sold at the e-bike repair shop in Chinatown where last Tuesday’s deadly fire broke out, according to reporting from the news website The City. A second fire broke out at the same store just days later.
E-bike battery fires have caused 71 injuries and 13 deaths so far this year, First Deputy Fire Commissioner Joseph Pfiefer told reporters on Sunday. At this point last year, the FDNY reported there were 40 injuries and two deaths caused by fires from the batteries.
A total 327 stations will eventually be installed across public housing complexes, serving an average of 67 residents per station, Mayor Eric Adams said.
Sen. Chuck Schumer said that the stations will charge faster than the six to seven hours it can take to juice up e-bike batteries.
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