Queens Shop Making and Selling Dangerous Modified Lithium-Ion Batteries

Photo byKumpan ElectriconUnsplash

The FDNY announced on Thursday that they had found an e-scooter store in Forest Hills, Queens, that was not only manufacturing but also selling lithium-ion batteries.

According to Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, during an inspection on Tuesday, "Frankenstein Batteries," or battery packs constructed from individual lithium-ion cells that were used to replace or modify older ones in violation of fire standards, were found.

Wilson's E-Scooter Shop on Queens Boulevard was cleared by the inspectors who also disposed of the lithium-ion batteries and battery packs correctly.

Hundreds of individual lithium-ion cells as well as sixty battery packs were discovered. Additionally, about 25 e-scooters and 25 gas-and-electric combo mopeds were found.

"They kill people. They have killed people. And they will kill more people if businesses continue to operate in this manner," Kavanagh said.

The business received numerous fines and violations.

At a news conference, Kavanaugh told reporters, "They hold a tremendous amount of power effectively packed into a tiny space, once you damage them, they explode, the amount of power in them explodes. So anyone who is doing this kind of work that is one not trained to do it, or two doing it in a residence or business like this that is not meant or built to handle what is effectively an industrial operation, there's a reason that other sorts of businesses that do industrial work are not on the bottom floor of someone's home or not in an apartment."

The shop's owner stated that he only currently has gas-powered vehicles left while he is closed for business and that he intends to cooperate with the FDNY. He claimed that obtaining certification to sell batteries that adhere to UL requirements has proven to be difficult.

On Thursday, a fire in a Brooklyn apartment building injured two firefighters. The blaze was caused by similar replacement lithium-ion batteries.