People with electric bikes are being warned to stop using certain batteries that could catch fire.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a public safety notice about Unit Pack Power (UPP) e-bike batteries, saying they could overheat and cause serious injury or death.
The CPSC said there were 13 reported incidents in the U.S. of batteries overheating. Seven of those cases reported fire and substantial property damage. There were also battery fires in the U.K.
The UPP batteries under the warning have model numbers U004 and U004-1.
The products were sold between 2018 and 2024 at a number of online retailers like Amazon, AliExpress, eBay, DHgate and Walmart, in addition to UPP’s website.
While the batteries should be disposed of, the CPSC emphasized they should not be thrown in the trash. The CPSC said consumers should follow state and local ordinances for recalled or defective lithium batteries when discarding them, because the batteries could be hazardous.
E-bike owners should always be present when their bike is charging and should not leave it charging while sleeping. The bikes should only be charged with the charger sent from the manufacturer.
Anyone wanting to report an incident with a UPP battery can do so on the CPSC website.
Lithium-ion battery sparks another deadly fire. How to avoid the risks
Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly causing accidental fires, including an apartment fire that claimed a life in New York City.
