The US Consumer Protection Safety Commission issued a stark warning about some of Rad Power Bikes’ e-bike batteries Monday, linking them to dozens of fires and saying they “pose a risk of serious injury and death.”
The batteries can “unexpectedly ignite and explode,” especially when water or debris leaks in to cells or the harness, the agency says. CPSC says there have been 31 fires, including 12 reports of property damage totaling $734,500, some of which occurred when the battery was not charging and the bike was in storage or not in use. No injuries were reported as a result of the fires.
The following models are included in the CPSC warning: RadWagon 4, RadCity HS 4, RadRover High Step 5, RadCity Step Thru 3, RadRover Step Thru 1, RadRunner 2, RadRunner 1, RadRunner Plus, and RadExpand 5. According to the agency, the battery model number (HL-RP-S1304 or RP-1304) is printed on a label on the back or rear of the battery. All the batteries were manufactured in China.
Rad Power Bikes has “refused to agree to an acceptable recall,” CPSC says in its statement. “Given its financial situation, Rad Power Bikes has indicated to CPSC that it is unable to offer replacement batteries or refunds to all consumers.”
The Seattle-based company, which is one of the leading sellers of e-bikes in North America, has fallen on hard times recently, in the wake of the post-covid bike boom. Rad Power Bikes is currently facing “significant financial challenges” that could lead to its imminent closure without a cash infusion, GeekWire reported earlier this month.
Poorly made e-bike batteries have been implicated in numerous deadly fires across the US and the UK in recent years. In New York City alone, where tens of thousands of delivery workers ride around on e-bikes every day, dozens of people have been killed in fires linked to faulty lithium-ion batteries.
But while Rad Power Bikes hasn’t been implicated in any fires that have resulted in injury or fatality, the company was aware that the perception of faulty batteries could certainly hurt its business. Last year, Rad Power Bikes introduced new “Safe Shield” batteries with thermal resistant technology designed to prevent fires. The company injects an epoxy resin into the battery cells, which prevents a chemical reaction in the battery that can cause it to heat up to the point of exploding, also known as a thermal runaway. None of the models listed in the CPSC memo include Safe Shield batteries, Rad Power Bikes director of brand marketing and communications Kelsey Wolf said in an email.
Rad Power Bikes has taken other safety steps, too, including shifting to the 21,700 cells (21mm in diameter and 70mm in length) from the 18,650 cells for its batteries and complying with UL safety certification for both its bikes and batteries.
Wolf said the company “strongly disagrees” with CPSC’s characterization of its batteries as defective or unsafe. Independent tests have confirmed that Rad’s batteries conform to the industry’s safety standards, she said, noting that CSPC does not dispute these findings.
“The incident rate associated with the batteries in the CPSC’s notice is a fraction of one percent,” Wolf said in a statement. “While that number is low, we know even one incident is one too many, and we are heartbroken by any report involving our products.”
She said that Rad Power Bikes is committed to working with CPSC to address its concerns. The company pitched “multiple good-faith solutions,” including offering its customers an opportunity to upgrade to the new thermal resistant batteries at a discount — but CPSC rejected this solution.
“The significant cost of the all-or-nothing demand would force Rad to shut its doors immediately, leaving no way to support our riders or our employees,” Wolf said.
Update November 24th: None of the models flagged by CPCS include Safe shield batteries. The story has been updated to reflect that fact.
