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By Samantha Maldonado

The City Council on Thursday passed a slate of bills in an effort to prevent lithium-ion battery fires.

Over the past two years, lithium-ion batteries have caused a record number of fires, with the batteries that power e-bikes and e-scooters the source of the vast majority of those incidents, according to the Fire Department. 

Some of the bills in the package restrict what kinds of batteries are available for purchase. Others aim to improve outreach and education about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries and the proper use of e-mobility devices, which delivery workers in particular rely upon to do their jobs.

“We’re just trying to figure out how we can be successful in supporting the Deliveristas, at the same time being safe,” said Councilmember Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan), who sponsored or co-sponsored most of the bills.

Lithium-ion batteries are found in laptops, cell phones, toys and other ordinary items. But when the batteries are damaged or improperly maintained, they can burst into flame. So far, batteries sparked 24 fires so far this year and 219 last year in the five boroughs — causing the city to run out of room to store the hazardous material recovered after fires, as THE CITY previously reported.