Queens Scooter Shop Raided for Dangerous Lithium-Ion Battery Production

The FDNY shut down a Queens e-bike shop for building and refurbishing dangerous lithium-ion battery packs, which were being sold for $2,000 to $4,000. The shop had been open for about four months and was found to have around 60 battery packs, hundreds of individual lithium-ion cells, 25 e-scooters, and 25 combination electric and gas mopeds. The city has been cracking down on illegal off-brand batteries, which caused 268 fires, 18 fatalities, and 150 injuries last year. The city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has conducted over 500 inspections and issued nearly 200 violations to businesses since last September.