Source: Zag Daily

Research from UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) has found the economic cost of e-mobility battery fires in New York City to be over $518 million between 2019-2023, and highlights that the city’s response was to require safety standards, rather than imposing bans.

Data presented in the white paper published by safety standards experts ULSE, The Impact of E-Mobility Battery Fires in NYC, calculates that the accumulated cost of the 465 e-mobility battery fires that were recorded during the period between 2019-2023 reached $518.6 million. This figure comprises $257.9 million in fatalities, $220.7 million in injuries, and $40 million in structural damages.  

ULSE Director of Primary Insights, Sayon Deb, spoke to Zag Daily: “E-mobility fires can have devastating consequences, including the economic, human, and community toll. The report helps to better understand the impact these fires have on our communities, specifically New York City where e-mobility fires proliferated, and provide recommendations to help prevent further loss.”

Importance of safety standards

Deb emphasised the response by NYC authorities to the rise in e-mobility battery fire risks. “The future of e-mobility will thrive with safety at its centre. As damaging as these fires have been in New York, the city did not resort to bans but instead chose to require safety standards, protecting consumers and preserving access. There are lessons to be learned from New York, and making standards part of policies everywhere will support e-mobility riders and safer communities.”

The analysis in the ULSE white paper shows an eight-fold increase in the number of e-mobility battery fires from 2019 to 2023, partly due to both a rise in low-cost e-mobility imports, and an overall increase in e-mobility device quantities.

ULSE outlines four key recommendations to address the risks posed by increased e-mobility adoption, including uncertified devices: 

• Rigorous enforcement of safety standards to prevent the sale and distribution of uncertified devices
• Increased awareness of e-mobility battery safety
• Targeted initiatives for delivery workers to remove unsafe devices off the street
• Strengthened data collection