More folks have turned to e-bikes and scooters as their preferred transportation, and their popularity is skyrocketing since the COVID-19 pandemic — but this trend has seen a significant downside.
New York State has pushed awareness for e-bike users about the potential danger of using them irresponsibly. Most are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can cause problems when left to charge too long or paired with cheap, third-market batteries and chargers.
“We warn them of the unsafe battery, the overheating,” said Bikeway Bicycles’ social media manager Katie Morano. “The ones that go faster than 28 mph are not technically street legal, you know? Things like that we try to warn them about before they make that purchase because we want them to get something that’s going to last and also be safe.”…