No, e-bike fires are not a ‘leading cause of death’ in NYC
It’s a new year, and yet we’re facing the same old problem as last year: electric bike fear-mongering from irresponsible journalists painting an overblown risk of e-bike fires.
This time, we’ve got a doozie of a headline from Men’s Journal: “E-bike Batteries: A Leading Cause Of Death In NYC”.
The only problem is it’s wrong. As in, completely wrong. The premise is not even close to aligning with reality.
This isn’t to say that fires from improperly constructed or tampered with electric bike lithium-ion batteries is a non-issue. It is an important matter requiring increased regulation – something NYC has already begun. The issue is acutely essential in NYC, where bike couriers rely on e-bikes to deliver food and goods to city residents, and are often forced to buy the cheapest e-bikes available due to the low wages of these critical service jobs. Such cheap e-bikes regularly scrimp on important safety features, resulting in a higher risk of battery fires – especially when unofficial or inexperienced repairmen try to repair worn-out or malfunctioning batteries.
The issue is a fatal one, even. New York City saw at least 17 deaths last year from fires started by faulty lithium-ion batteries. It’s worth noting that many – if not most – of these fires aren’t actually caused by e-bike batteries but rather electric scooters and e-motorbikes that firefighters don’t understand and thus lump into the e-bike category. But that’s a nuance lost on most people so we’ll ignore it for now and include all micromobility-related fires.
Every one of those 17 deaths last year is a tragedy. And increased regulation to weed out the ultra-cheap, poorly-made e-bikes can help. But to call it a “leading cause” of death in NYC is journalistic malpractice. In fact, in all of my extensive research, I can’t even tell you what rank it is because it is so far down the list of leading causes of death in NYC that the statistics don’t even go that low.
So the simple fact of the matter is this: no, e-bike fires are not a leading cause of death in NYC. They aren’t even close to making the list.
Even if you ignore the true leading causes of death, such as over 17,000 deaths per year due to heart disease in New York City, then lithium-ion battery fire deaths are still not even close to making the charts. That’s a 1,000x higher likelihood of death by heart disease.
Compared to battery fire deaths, New Yorkers are 176x more likely to die from a drug overdose, 23x more likely to be murdered, 5x more likely to die while riding the subway, and over 3x more likely to die from choking. You’d be safer to chew your food a little longer than to worry about an e-bike fire.
Focusing in further just on fire deaths, several times more people are killed in the city from fires sparked by electric space heaters. A single space heater fire in 2022 killed 3x as many people as all e-bike battery fires combined in NYC that year.
Even if you want to hyperfocus on bikes, then let’s talk about the bigger cause of bike-related deaths in NYC: cyclists getting killed by cars. Due to the lack of proper bike lanes in NYC (missing on 97% of NYC streets), there are several times more cyclist deaths than deaths due to battery-related fires. And pedestrians have it even worse – they’re even more likely to die from getting hit by a car in NYC than cyclists. In fact, you’re 7x more likely to die from getting run over in a crosswalk in NYC than from a battery fire.
E-bike fire safety is absolutely an important issue, and this article isn’t meant to minimize it. Instead, it just needs to be put into perspective to avoid demonizing what could be the biggest transportation revolution in a century, saving countless lives through reducing our impact on global climate change. But let’s not convolute an important safety discussion into clickbait fear-mongering, especially when it pales in impact compared to real issues that should actually keep New Yorkers up at night.
More attention and ultimately regulation should be applied to reduce the number of deaths from e-bike fires from 17 to zero, but let’s keep the issue in proportion. Considerably more lives would be saved every year just by NYC being able to pass its ban on mega-sized sugary drinks that was nullified a decade ago. Remember, more than 1,000x more New Yorkers are killed by heart disease than e-bike batteries.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
A former coal mine in western Maryland is now generating solar power – and it’s the largest solar farm in the state. Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) has brought Maryland’s largest solar project online in Garrett County, turning reclaimed coal mine land into a source of clean electricity.
CPV Renewable Power, an affiliate of CPV, and investment partner Harrison Street Asset Management have started commercial operations at CPV Backbone Solar, a 160-megawatt solar project in western Maryland. The site sits on a reclaimed, decommissioned coal mine, turning previously disturbed land into a new source of clean power.
Construction of the project was handled by Vanguard Energy Partners, a solar engineering, procurement, and construction firm.
The project comprises approximately 324,000 solar panels and is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 30,000 homes. For Maryland, it adds new in‑state generation while giving former fossil fuel land a second life.
CPV says that the project aims to demonstrate the role of brownfield redevelopment in the energy transition. The company’s CEO, Sherman Knight, said Backbone Solar shows “how brownfield redevelopment, innovative engineering, and strategic partnerships can meet complex project challenges and deliver new power generation in Maryland.”
Local officials have welcomed the project. Garrett County Board Chairman Paul Edwards said bringing the solar facility to the county helps protect the region’s natural landscape while also creating economic value for local residents.
CPV Backbone Solar also includes a community and environmental investment tied to the project. CPV has committed $100,000 over four years to the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation.
Backbone Solar becomes part of CPV’s growing renewable portfolio, which includes four operating wind and solar projects. The company also says it has a 4.8-gigawatt renewable development pipeline.
A second phase of the Backbone Solar project is already under construction. Once completed, it’s expected to increase the site’s total installed capacity from 160 MW to 175 MW.
Read more: Fast charge your EV while grabbing Royal Farms fried chicken
If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use!
Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Pennsylvania just opened its first federally funded EV charging station on the Pennsylvania Turnpike — a key step toward making long-distance EV travel easier across the state.
The new station just opened at the Blue Mountain Service Plaza at Exit 202 westbound. Another NEVI-funded site at the New Stanton Service Plaza (Exit 77 westbound) is expected to open next week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
The chargers were built using funds from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which is designed to install fast, reliable charging stations where drivers already stop — especially along busy highway corridors.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is one of the state’s most heavily traveled roads, particularly during holiday travel, making service plazas a natural location for en-route EV charging. This first Turnpike site marks the beginning of NEVI-funded charging directly on the state’s toll road.
The Blue Mountain and New Stanton locations are part of the Turnpike’s larger, systemwide EV charging rollout. Working with Applegreen Electric, the Turnpike plans to install 80 new universal EV charging stations across all 17 service plazas by the end of 2027.
In addition to the NEVI-funded sites, the Turnpike has already brought new chargers online at the North Somerset, South Somerset, and Hickory Run service plazas using funding from Pennsylvania’s Driving PA Forward program. Each location offers high-speed charging with four ports per site, and all chargers are designed to work with all EV models without the need for adapters.
The project was awarded under the first round of PennDOT’s NEVI Alternative Fuel Corridor program. The next phase of funding, known as Corridor Connections, is focused on filling in charging gaps along major roadways that fall outside previously designated alternative fuel corridors. The goal is to make longer EV trips across Pennsylvania easier and more predictable.
The announcement also comes as Pennsylvania continues to push back against federal attempts to block EV funding. The US Department of Transportation is currently withholding congressionally approved money that would have supported EV infrastructure projects and jobs in the state. Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) sued the Trump administration over the move and, alongside 15 other states, successfully challenged an earlier attempt to derail the NEVI program. That legal fight helped keep projects like these Turnpike charging stations moving forward across the Commonwealth.
Electrek’s Take
This is precisely what the Biden administration’s NEVI program was meant to do: put fast, reliable charging stations where drivers already stop. Service plazas on major turnpikes are prime real estate for EV charging, particularly during holiday and long-distance travel. Pennsylvania’s rollout is still early days, but once chargers are live at all 17 plazas – assuming the federal funding spigot stays open – one of the Northeast’s busiest corridors is going to be a great place to road-trip in an EV.
Read more: PA Turnpike to add 80 new Applegreen DC fast chargers by 2027
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024