Amid fire concern, NYC banning sale of electric bikes without UL-listed batteries
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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When it comes to battery longevity, it appears that brand matters. A recent study published by Germany’s ADAC revealed tangible, real-world differences in how the high-voltage batteries in PHEVs age across manufacturers. The results: Mercedes’ batteries came out on top, Mitsubishi trailed behind.
A recent study by the German motoring group ADAC (think of it as Germany’s equivalent of America’s AAA) and data analysts at Austrian battery firm AVILOO analyzed more than 28,500 state-of-health (SoH) measurements from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) across six years and several vehicle brands. While the study found that battery degradation for most brands remains within a range consistent with an average vehicle lifespan, it turns out that one of the strongest predictors of battery longevity was the brand of vehicle tested.
In other words: not all hybrid batteries are created equal, and it seems like you really do seem to get what you pay for with batteries from traditionally pricer brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volvo out-performing those from mainstream car brands like VW, Ford, and Mitsubishi. Here’s how ADAC broke it down:
In terms of brand comparison, Mercedes-Benz models generally show very stable battery performance up to a mileage of 200,000 kilometers. This contrasts with Mitsubishi, whose PHEVs already exhibit significant degradation even at low mileages, although this stabilizes somewhat over the course of their lifespan.
Battery degradation in vehicles from the Volkswagen Group and Volvo remains within an unremarkable range even with higher proportions of electric driving. BMW models show a noticeable variation across the entire field, depending on electric usage. In Ford models, battery capacity decreases remarkably early, regardless of the specific user group. However, predictions regarding battery condition at higher mileages are not possible due to the limited number of tests.
ADAC | GOOGLE TRANSLATE
So, what are the big takeaways here, besides the notion that more expensive products tend to be built better than cheaper ones? It seems like most PHEVs are maintaining more than 80% of their batteries’ SoH after 200,000 km (~120,000 miles), with some of the higher-performing batteries doing significantly better.
Still totally fine
Again, the ADAC results shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that the Mitsubishi PHEV models aren’t perfectly serviceable, reliable offerings – just that some cars that cost a lot more than the Mitsubishi tend to have batteries that last a little longer under typical driving conditions.
ADAC also adds that, if frequent electric-only trips are on your agenda (as they are on mine), a fully battery-electric vehicle may be the smarter pick, as their batteries go through fewer charging cycles and tend to last longer than PHEV batteries as a consequence.
At the end of the day, it’s a straightforward choice: align your powertrain with your intended daily use, and your battery will have an easier, longer, and healthier life.
SOURCES: ADAC, AVILOO; via Motorpasión.
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At EICMA 2025, Honda finally pulled back the curtain on its first full-size electric motorcycle with the first-ever public unveiling of the Honda WN7. As someone who’s followed the electric motorcycle space for over a decade, I’ve been waiting a long time to see Big Red bring some serious voltage – and it looks like that moment has arrived.
The WN7 isn’t just a compliance bike or a modest scooter like we’ve seen for years from Honda – it’s a legitimate full-size motorcycle, albeit still a commuter motorcycle and not something you’d likely want to take on a cross-country trip.
Designed as a naked street bike in Honda’s “FUN” category, the WN7 features a peak output of 50 kW (67 hp), putting it in a similar performance class to a 600cc internal combustion motorcycle. With 100 Nm of torque, it even rivals liter-class bikes in terms of torque off the line, promising quick acceleration and agile city or highway handling.
Honda’s development team leaned into the EV strengths with a design philosophy they call “Be the wind.” The goal is apparently a ride experience that’s quiet and immersive, letting you hear the world around you while still delivering that satisfying EV torque hit.
Visually, the WN7 sports a sharp silhouette and a horizontal LED light bar up front – a design element Honda says will become the face of its entire electric lineup. It also features a new colorway exclusive to Honda’s EVs: a black body accented with golden mechanical components.
One of the most interesting engineering decisions is the frameless chassis. Instead of a traditional motorcycle frame, Honda uses the rigid aluminum battery case itself as a central structural element, connecting both the front steering head and the rear swingarm pivot directly to it. This design not only cuts weight but also improves handling by centralizing the mass. It’s a move we’re seeing more frequently, having been employed by other electric motorcycle makers such as LiveWire as part of their S2 Arrow platform.
Honda’s powertrain includes a new liquid-cooled motor with a built-in inverter, delivering its power to a belt-drive rear wheel through a newly designed gearbox. It’s quiet, clean, and torquey – just what you want in a commuter or light touring bike.
The moderately sized, fixed 9.3 kWh battery supports both CCS2 fast charging (20% to 80% in 30 minutes) and Type 2 charging, with a claimed range of 140 km (87 miles) per charge under WMTC standards. Riders also benefit from regenerative braking with customizable deceleration levels, as well as a slow-speed walk mode for precise parking assistance.
No word yet on pricing or exact market release dates, but Honda says the WN7 will be produced in Japan and rolled out in regions “where electrification is advancing.” Perhaps that could be a clue about its entry, or lack thereof, in North America.
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Polestar may not yet be a household name, but these makers of objectively excellent, sporty EVs with Scandinavian sensibilities are doing everything they can to change that — including offering killer post-rebate deals set to take the fight to Tesla.
CarsDirect is reporting a MASSIVE $18,000 lease incentive on the sporty Polestar 3, which starts at around $67,500 for the Long Range Single Motor model and goes up to approximately $79,400 for the Long Range Dual Motor. For those of you like to see the math, that pencils out to ~25% discount from MSRP.
Nationally, the 2025 Polestar 3 features a $18,000 lease incentive. Customers who lease a 2025 Polestar 3 through Polestar Financial Services will receive the brand’s $18,000 Clean Vehicle Noncash Incentive. Customers who buy a 2025 Polestar 3 with cash or through standard financing can get $10,000 Polestar Clean Vehicle Incentive cash towards the purchase.
All Polestar 3 EVs currently offer 0% APR for up to 72 months on purchases plus a $7,500 financing bonus. This is the lowest rate we’ve seen since the vehicle’s launch, and it is now among the best 0% financing deals on an SUV.
The EV deals don’t stop there. Polestar is offering both lease and finance customers who happen Costco members can get another $1,000 off the Polestar 3, making the Swedish/Chinese crossover one of the most compelling new car deals in the business.
Polestar 3 | For the money
If you decide to take Polestar up on their offer, you’ll be getting a genuinely sporty five-seat entry-luxe SUV with a big battery and real, road trip-ready range.
In the US the entry Polestar 3 Long-Range Single Motor (RWD) model starts at the previously-mentioned $67,500 MSRP (pre-rebate), and offers a 111 kWh battery pack good for an EPA-rated range of up to 350 miles. The top-shelf Performance-spec Polestar 3, meanwhile, offers an all-wheel-drive dual-motor setup that Polestar rates at 380 kW (~517 hp) that will launch you across suburbia with a 0–60 mph time in the 4 second range, albeit with slightly less range than the base model: “just” 275–315 mi, depending on wheels/trim.
The other thing a Polestar 3 offers is a bit of neutrality. Polestar hasn’t been shy about what it views as an “opportunity” to snatch up car buyers who want to distance themselves from Elon Musk and the political polarization that’s now associated with the Tesla brand.
The company’s CEO, German auto industry stalwart Michael Lohscheller, told Bloomberg, “For Germany, somebody outside of Germany endorsing right-wing political parties is a big thing. You want to know what I think about it? I think it’s totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. You just don’t do that. This is pure arrogance, and these things will not work.”
He’s hoping enough people agree to move the needle on Polestar sales in the US – and the first step to that is for consumers to get behind the wheel of this “masterfully tuned and sneaky-fast SUV,” and see if it’s a fit for them.
One thing is certain, though: at $18,000 less — the Polestar 3 is a lot more likely to be a fit for their budget than it was before! You can find out more about Polestar’s killer EV deals on the full range of Polestar models, from the 2 to the 4, below, then let us know what you think of the three-pointed star’s latest discount dash in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
SOURCE: CarsDirect; images via Polestar.
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