A Brooklyn company involved in a city-backed e-bike battery-swapping program violated Fire Department of New York (FDNY) safety rules, an investigation revealed after a fire destroyed hundreds of batteries and caused significant damage. PopWheels, a partner in the publicly funded initiative, stored and charged batteries in unapproved containers within a shipping unit, leading to a "thermal event" on August 15 that resulted in an "all-hands" fire.
The incident caused approximately $500,000 in damages, wiping out 433 of the company's batteries. While no injuries were reported, the FDNY stated that PopWheels had violated a safety agreement with the city. The agency could not definitively determine if the violation caused the fire but confirmed that batteries were stored in unapproved cabinets.
PopWheels is one of three companies authorized by the Fire and Department of Transportation to operate certified outdoor battery-swapping kiosks in New York City, an effort aimed at reducing dangerous lithium-ion battery fires. Despite these measures, lithium-ion battery fires have surged by 68% this year, with several incidents claiming lives.
In response to the escalating fires, the City Council has scheduled an emergency hearing for November 20 to address the issue with city agencies and safety experts. Concerns have also been raised about PopWheels allegedly servicing batteries from brands other than its authorized Arrow E-Bike packs, potentially further endangering the public.
The company's co-founders, David Hammer and Baruch Herzfeld, asserted that their company has a strong safety record with over half a million battery swaps without incident. They described the recent FDNY citations as minor violations and stated that no charging or discharging was occurring in the shipping container at the time of the fire. They also noted that the incident resulted in a $150,000 hazardous-materials cleanup cost not covered by insurance.
However, critics, including former Councilman Robert Holden, have voiced strong opposition to companies like PopWheels, accusing them of prioritizing profits over public safety and misleading city officials. The company's internal memo regarding the incident referred to it under the codename "Zanzibar."