E-bikes are a very good way to get around, but unfortunately most of the affordable models come from companies without fantastic track records of quality control. Even Rad Power Bikes, a longtime darling of the affordable e-bike space, isn’t immune: The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission put out a warning earlier today telling buyers to immediately stop using their bike’s batteries, or risk injury or death by fire.
The warning, issued by CPSC on November 24th, says that the batteries can “ignite and explode” without warning. CPSC says it’s been informed of 31 fires resulting from Rad Power Bikes batteries, 12 of which resulted in damaged property to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Worse still, these fires don’t seem to be a typical overcharging situation — some batteries ignited while simply sitting disconnected on a shelf. CPSC went on to say that Rad Power Bikes has refused to issue a recall, claiming it can’t afford to replace the faulty batteries. Not a great sign for a company already teetering on the financial edge.
Nine models and one battery are affected
CPCS reports that one battery is affected by the issue, marked with either the product number HL-RP-S1304 or RP-1304. These batteries have been sold for some time by Rad Power Bikes as replacements, and are factory-installed on the following models:
- RadCity High Step 4
- RadCity Step Thru 3
- RadExpand 5
- RadRover High Step 5
- RadRover Step Thru 1
- RadRunner 2
- RadRunner 1
- RadRunner Plus
- RadWagon 4
CPSC included a statement from Rad Power Bikes, which outright states that the cost of a recall would “immediately put Rad out of business.” It sounds like the company wants to replace only batteries that are physically damaged, though it’s unclear whether visible external damage is actually a factor in the batteries’ detonation; CPSC says that the fire risk is exacerbated “when the battery or the harness has been exposed to water or debris,” but never says the batteries are safe when in mint condition.
It’s a shame that the world of affordable e-bikes is so overrun with shoddy engineering and quality assurance, because e-bikes are a fantastic way to get around cities, suburbs, and small towns. If you’re in the market for a new e-bike, make sure you get one with UL-certified electronics. And, if you’re the owner of a Rad Power bike, maybe just get rid of that battery. Congratulations on your shiny new analog bicycle.
