Connect with us

Published

on

Queens house fire was latest of lithium-ion battery blazes, FDNY says

One man was killed and 10 other people were injured in a house fire in Queens that fire officials was sparked by an e-bike lithium ion battery.

NEW YORK – A man was killed, and three other people were injured after a house fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery in Queens late Friday night.

According to the FDNY, at around 11 p.m., a fire was reported at a three-story home on 89th Street in East Elmhurst.

RELATED: Landlords must warn tenants about e-bike battery safety, FDNY says

Firefighters responded to the scene, where they found an unidentified man on the home's second floor, suffering from smoke inhalation.

The man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Lithium-ion battery safety in NYC residences

The FDNY is mandating that property owners distribute a safety guide to tenants with lifesaving advice about lithium-ion batteries.

The fire department said 10 other people, including four firefighters, were taken to hospitals for treatment, at least seven of them with minor injuries.

RELATED: Bronx apartment building fire sparked by e-bike battery, 3 injured

Fire marshals later determined that a lithium-ion battery caused the blaze, the fire department tweeted Saturday.

Commercially available since the early 1990s, lithium-ion batteries are the familiar, rechargeable power source for many phones, laptop computers, vehicles and other devices. Fires can happen if the batteries are overcharged, overheated, defective or damaged.

Such batteries in electric bikes and scooters were linked to about 200 fires last year citywide. They included a blaze that killed a woman and a 5-year-old girl in East Harlem in August and a high-rise apartment-building fire that injured over three dozen people and spurred a dramatic rope rescue a few blocks from the United Nations headquarters in November.

The fire department has issued warnings and safety tips. The city administration has urged the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission to consider new regulations, and some city lawmakers have proposed legislation of their own.

Continue Reading

Environment

BYD is offering free car insurance on select EVs in new end-of-year sales promo

Published

on

By

BYD is offering free car insurance on select EVs in new end-of-year sales promo

China’s EV leader wants to close the year strong with a new sales promotion. BYD is now offering free car insurance on certain EVs ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year. Will it be enough to take the global EV sales crown in 2024?

BYD offers free insurance on some EVs to boost sales

With a record 506,804 NEVs (EV and PHEV models) sold in November, BYD has now had two straight months with over 500,000 in vehicle sales.

The EV giant has no plans to slow down. On Thursday, BYD announced its latest “New Year GO New Car” sales promotion on its Weibo page.

From today, December 26, 2024, through January 26, 2025, BYD is offering free car insurance on select PHEVs and EVs in its Ocean and Dynasy lineups. The promo includes several top-selling EVs, including the Dolphin, Seal, and Sea Lion 07.

Through the first 11 months of 2024, BYD sold nearly 3.76 million NEVs, including 1.56 million all-electric models. The promo comes as BYD is in a tight race with Tesla for the global EV sales crown for 2024.

BYD-free-insurance-EVs
BYD is giving free car insurance for select EVs in a new year-end promo (Source: BYD)

Through September, Tesla delivered 1.3 million EVs compared to BYD’s 1.17 million. Since Tesla doesn’t report monthly sales numbers, we will have to wait until the end-of-year numbers come out to determine who will take the EV sales crown in 2024.

BYD-Seagull-cheapest-EV
BYD Seagull (Source: BYD)

The Seagull EV, BYD’s cheapest electric car starting under $10,000, was once again China’s best-selling vehicle last month after topping the Tesla Model Y. BYD sold 56,156 Seagull EVs last month alone in China.

Although the global EV sales race between BYD and Tesla is heating up into the end of the year, the Chinese EV leader is quickly outselling some of the largest global automakers.

BYD sold more vehicles globally than Nissan and Honda in the third quarter, and it is now closing in on Ford.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Sports

Sources: DeSean Jackson near deal to coach DSU

Published

on

By

Sources: DeSean Jackson near deal to coach DSU

Former Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Delaware State are finalizing an agreement for him to become the program’s next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.

Jackson did an on-campus interview in recent days, and the sides are expected to come together to complete the deal in the near future. According to a source, it has always been a dream of Jackson’s to coach at a historically Black college or university (HBCU). That dream could be a reality in the near future.

The 38-year-old would replace Lee Hull, who was dismissed earlier this month after two disappointing seasons, including a 1-11 showing this year.

The news was first reported by Victory Formation Media.

Jackson, who officially retired as a member of the Eagles after the 2023 season, made the Pro Bowl in three of his eight seasons with the team. He became the first player in NFL history to earn Pro Bowl honors at two positions — kick returner and wide receiver. He played 15 years overall and had stints with the Los Angeles Rams, Washington, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Las Vegas, but he is best known for the six-year run in Philadelphia at the start of his pro career.

In 95 career games with the Eagles, he ranks third all time in receiving yards (6,512), sixth in receptions (379) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (35). As a punt returner, he finished second in punt returns (132), third in punt return yards (1,296) and is tied for the team’s all-time lead in punt return touchdowns with four.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Continue Reading

Politics

The future of trust is onchain

Published

on

By

The future of trust is onchain

Onchain reputation could reshape trust in digital interactions.

Continue Reading

Trending