A safety alert about e-bike batteries causing ‘fire and substantial property damage’

After fires causing “significant property damage,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a public safety alert about two models of e-bike batteries.

The CPSC says the lithium-ion Unit Pack Power “U004” or “U004-1” batteries threaten to bring “serious injury and death” to users after 13 reports in the U.S. that “the battery overheated, including seven reports of fire and substantial property damage.”

“The batteries have not been certified by an accredited laboratory to the applicable UL (Underwriters Laboratories) safety standard to ensure protections,” the agency said.

The batteries have been sold through the company website, as well as Amazon, Walmart, eBay, AliExpress and DHgate.

Most food and product recalls are voluntary, sometimes after notification of a problem by a government agency. In this case, the CPSC says China-based Shenzhen Unit Pack Power Technology Co. Ltd., doing business as Unit Pack Power/UPP, “has refused to conduct an acceptable recall.”

In the United Kingdom, where the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) said the batteries are “linked to a number of fires across England,” four online sellers, 20 sellers and Unit Pack Power were hit with Withdrawal Notices (the UK version of a recall) on Jan. 24.

“We consider these UPP batteries to be dangerous, and that is why we are taking this action to stop them being supplied,” OPSS Chief Executive Graham Russell said. “Consumers need to be aware of the risk of these batteries failing, and the potential fatal consequences that can occur.”

The CPSC reminds users these batteries can’t just be thrown in the trash like a dead pair of AAs from your remote control.

“Consumers should stop use and dispose of the batteries in accordance with any local and state ordinances, following the procedures established by your municipal recycling center for damaged/defective/recalled lithium batteries,” the CPSC said. “Do not throw this battery in the trash. Do not deposit this battery in used battery recycling boxes found at various retail and home improvement stores.”

Unit Pack Power can be reached through its website.