May 19, 2023: New York City fire commissioner Laura Kavanagh said on May 17 she would consider supporting further measures aimed at stamping out lithium ion battery fires.
The move came after NYC mayor Eric Adams said on March 20 he had signed five new laws that included a tightening of regulations on the sale of lithium batteries in New York as part of a ‘Charge Safe, Ride Safe: New York City’s Electric Micromobility Action Plan’.
Now Kavanagh has told an NYC city council budget meting she would consider backing a proposal for a buyback program, so New Yorkers could exchange the lithium ion batteries in their electric scooters and bikes for unspecified safer options.
The budget meeting came just days after firefighters were called to deal with a blaze outside an apartment block in the Bronx (see photo) where a number of destroyed batteries and e-bikes were found.
Photo: NYFD