NEW YORK (AP) — New York City officials say retailers and food delivery companies must do more to halt the proliferation of unsafe e-bike and e-scooter batteries, after a fire blamed on an electric scooter's lithium ion battery killed three people over the weekend.
Fire officials said the fire broke out on the ground floor of the building.
City officials have blamed off-market batteries and chargers that don't meet safety standards for many of the fires, and they have lobbied the federal government to strengthen regulations governing the sale of e-bikes and batteries.
City officials haven't said whether the battery that caused Sunday's fire came from a vehicle used to make deliveries for one of the food service apps, and they didn't immediately respond to a Tuesday email seeking further information.
Tens of thousands of the city's food delivery workers rely on e-bikes to get dinner to customers quickly, and Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi singled out the delivery industry during remarks at a City Hall news conference Tuesday, noting that time is money for delivery workers.
Persons:
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Organizations:
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Locations:
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