A new law already passed by the New York City Council will ban the sale of electric bicycles, electric scooters and other electric mobility devices that are not UL-certified. The move is part of an on-going push to improve e-bike safety and reduce the risk of fires.
The law, which is expected to be signed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams in the coming days, was developed in response to a spate of fires caused by the lithium-ion batteries used in many electric mobility devices.
New York City is home to hundreds of thousands of electric bikes, e-scooters and other micromobility devices. They are commonly used by delivery workers, food couriers and commuters as a quicker and more efficient way to navigate the city.
But when not constructed properly, lithium-ion batteries can result in intense fires. These cases are extremely rare, but the high number of battery-powered devices in NYC has led to a higher number of such fires.
These lithium-ion battery fires are more common when batteries are modified or repaired by untrained technicians, which has become a common practice employed to prevent needing to buy a new and expensive battery. Another factor that has led to some of these fires is the use of third-party and non-compatible aftermarket chargers that can overcharge a battery.
A five alarm fire that broke out in the Bronx earlier this weekend is just one of several that have resulted in significant property damage over the last few years. While rare, several lithium-ion battery fire-related fatalities have also been reported in NYC.
The new law will require electric mobility devices with lithium-ion batteries sold in NYC to be certified to the UL 2849 standard, which covers not just the battery in an electric bicycle but also the motor and drivetrain.
The president of the National Bicycle Dealers Association, Heather Mason, explained to Bicycle Retailer that she believes the decision will benefit the e-bike industry:
“I’m telling dealers to adjust their inventory. I know this is going to create a hardship for our retailers, but (the regulation) is in the best interest of the future of e-bikes. It will allow growth in the category while keeping people safe. It’s the right thing.”
NYC is one of the first cities in the nation to require such a standard, but the new law could be a sign of legislation to come in more cities and states, or even at a national level.
Electrek’s Take
Safer e-bikes is always a good thing, and reducing fire risk through properly constructed batteries is imperative to improving the safety of micromobility devices.
However, it is important to keep in mind that e-bike fires aren’t just rare, they are exceedingly rare. We’re talking single digits out of millions of e-bikes, e-scooters and other e-mobility devices.
The headline Hundreds of thousands of e-bikes quietly finish charging again last night just isn’t as clickable. And so the teeny tiny percentage of fires get more coverage. It’s just like how 500 combustion engine cars catch on fire everyday in the US, but one Tesla fire is the only thing that will make the news.
Another consideration to keep in mind is that these e-bike fires are almost always the most junky of the models out there. These aren’t the typical e-bikes we often cover – they’re the eBay specials. When you see the aftermath pictures of these e-bike fires, it is nearly always an ultra-cheap product produced in a no-name factory. These are the bargain basement crap-on-wheels models that have made significant quality compromises to reach those low prices. And even those rolling dumpsters rarely catch on fire, it’s just the minuscule few that do that we end up hearing about.
So yes, I definitely support the idea of improved e-bike safety. But let’s all keep the scope of this problem in perspective. At risk of some type of moral relativism here, I’d say there are some significantly bigger threats to public safety rolling around that we could be committing this type of energy and legislation towards fixing. Around 300 pedestrians are killed by cars in NYC every year. So far this year NYC has reported two deaths from e-bike fires. While each is a tragedy, the difference in scale is obvious.
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The BYD “Shenzhen” set sail on its first voyage overseas this week. With 9,200 parking spots, or about enough to fill 20 football fields, BYD’s new car transport ship is now the world’s largest.
BYD’s largest car carrier sets sail for Brazil
BYD’s Shenzhen is on its maiden voyage to Brazil after setting sail on April 27. The vessel is carrying over 7,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It’s the largest single batch of NEVs exported from China so far.
The new vessel is BYD’s fourth car transport ship and the world’s largest, capable of carrying 9,000 vehicles. According to the company, that’s enough to fill about 20 football fields.
BYD launched its first car carrier, the Explorer No 1, in January 2024. It has already completed several trips to Germany, Spain, and Brazil.
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Its second, the BYD Changzhou, set sail in December 2024, followed by the Hefei earlier this year. All three vessels can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, making the Shenzhen the largest so far.
BYD Shenzhen, the world’s largest car transport ship (Source: BYD)
The Shenzhen is named after the automaker’s hometown and demonstrates “BYD’s firm determination to promote sustainable development in Brazil.”
BYD is preparing to launch two more vessels, the Changsha and Xi’an. The Changsha is expected to launch soon, while the Xi’an was introduced on April 2.
The new car carriers will help accelerate BYD’s aggressive overseas expansion. In the first three months of 2025, the company sold over 206,000 NEVs overseas, more than double the number it sold last year.
BYD sells a wide range of vehicles in Brazil, including the low-cost Dolphin Mini, starting at around $20,000 (99,800 BRL). In October, it launched its first hybrid pickup truck, the Shark, starting at 379,800 BTL ($66,900).
Brazil is only one overseas market that BYD is targeting. BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe in 2025, with significant growth in other key regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea, to name a few.
‘Tesla homes’ in a Houston neighborhood where all the homes have Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls went for sale.
7 out of the 11 homes have reportedly already sold.
Tesla neighborhood is a term that is being used for new developments where all the homes integrate all or part of Tesla’s power ecosystem, including the Powerwall home battery pack.
The best example is a giant new development project in Austin, Texas, by Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra in which up to 12,000 new homes are to be built and offering Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls.
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However, since the announcement, it looks like only some of the homes in the new neighborhood have Tesla energy systems.
One such ‘Tesla neighborhood’ is a small block of 11 townhouse homes featuring Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls in Houston, Texas.
The homes were recently completed and went on sale, starting at $544,900.
Here are some pictures from the listings:
Utopia Homes, the developer behind the project, described the properties (via Chron):
Step into modern elegance expertly crafted by Utopia Homes. This property showcases groundbreaking Tesla Solar Roof Shingles and Power Wall technology, ensuring 100% energy security and eliminating electric bills for a truly sustainable lifestyle.
The house has proved popular according to the real estate agents, with 7 out of 11 homes already sold.
Tesla has largely stopped discussing it, but it is still being deployed through some third-party installers, such as in this case, on new homes.
However, its Powerwall product remains a very popular solution for homeowners seeking greater energy independence and protection against outages, which have been a frequent problem in Texas.
More homeowners are turning to generators, and alternatives like home battery packs are gaining popularity.
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Canadian electric propulsion specialist Vision Marine continues to graduate beyond advanced outboard motors into a provider of all-electric boats. This month, Vision introduced two new electric pontoon boats – the 12-passenger V24 and 15-passenger V30, each capable of a range up to 90 nautical miles.
Vision Marine Technologies ($VMAR) is a Canadian technology company with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. The company made waves (literally) by introducing its E-Motion turnkey powertrain system, which it has since integrated into a catamaran speedboat, which set a speed record of 109 mph in 2022.
Since then, Vision has introduced six hp two-cruiser vessels – the Fantail 217 and Volt 180, each capable of transporting 10 passengers via its E-Motion technology. Most recently, Vision Marine has integrated the full power of its 180 hp electric powertrain technology into two additional vessels, both electric pontoon boats.
Earlier this month, the company officially began sales of the Vision V24 and V30, which you can view below.
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The V24 Electric Pontoon Boat / Source: Vision Marine
The V30 / Source: Vision Marine
Vision Marine brings power and range to electric pontoons
According to Vision Marine Technologies, orders for its two new electric pontoon boats are now open, and they are touting the same E-Motion technology that put the company on the map a few years ago.
The first model is the V24, a 12-passenger electric pontoon that is 24′ 8″ in length and has 180 hp. The ultra-quiet E-Motion powertrain is powered by a standard 43 kWh marine battery pack, offering 40 nautical miles (46 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. For added range, Vision sells a version of the electric pontoon with a second battery pack, totaling 86 kWh and delivering up to 90 nautical miles (104 miles) of range.
While the V24 offers more of a classic attempt at the pontoon boat, Vision’s additional new vessel, the all-electric V30, is a tad sportier and provides room for more passengers aboard (15). This 30′ vessel features the same E-Motion powertrain options, complete with the same two battery configurations to offer the same ranges as the V24.
However, the V30 has additional features such as 4 x 6.5″ interior speakers and cool-touch seats. Both models feature an integrated onboard charger that supports both 120- 240V (30 to 50 amps) for seamless charging, no matter the dock plug while moored.
The Vision V24 starts at $99,995 for the standard battery pack version, while the V30 starts at a higher price of $139,995. As previously mentioned, both electric pontoon boats are available to order today.
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