A federal commission issued a safety warning for several Rad Power Bikes models, calling on consumers to stop using the e-bikes’ lithium-ion batteries over concerns that the batteries can “unexpectedly ignite and explode.”
However, the Seattle-based company argues that the number of incidents is only “a fraction of a percent of total batteries” that it has sold, and that third-party tests “confirmed compliance with the highest industry standards.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s warning on Monday pertains to battery model numbers RP-1304 and HL-RP-S1304 from the popular Seattle-based e-bike manufacturer, following 31 known reports of fire tied to the batteries. These include 12 fires that combined to cause $734,500 in damage, according to the commission.
“The hazardous batteries can unexpectedly ignite and explode, posing a fire hazard to consumers, especially when the battery or the harness has been exposed to water and debris,” the warning states. “Some of these incidents occurred when the battery was not charging, the product was not in use and the product was in storage.”
A handful of the company’s models have the batteries included in the alert:
- RadWagon 4
- RadCity HS 4
- RadRover High Step 5
- RadCity Step Thru 3
- RadRover Step Thru 1
- RadRunner 2
- RadRunner 1
- RadRunner Plus
- RadExpand 5
People with those bikes are urged to check the back of the battery, where the model number should be printed. Rad Power Bikes operates a retail store in Salt Lake City, but it also reports online that its products are sold at bike shops all over Utah. It also sells bikes online and at Best Buy stores. The bikes retail between $1,500 and $2,000, while a replacement battery retails for $550.
The commission adds that the company has “refused to agree to an acceptable recall” over the matter, and may not be able to “offer replacement batteries or refunds to all consumers.
Rad Power Bikes, on the other hand, have a bone to pick with the warning, saying it offered “multiple good-faith solutions,” including an option for people to upgrade their battery to an unaffected model. The alert, it points out, does not affect Rad’s Safe Shield-branded batteries or semi-integrated batteries.
In a statement to KSL.com, a company spokesperson said that Rad Power Bikes has also sold over 100,000 batteries, and the 31 cases represent a small number of issues.
“Reputable, independent third-party labs tested Rad’s batteries, both as part of our typical product testing and again during the (commission) investigation, and confirmed compliance with the highest industry standards,” they said. “It is also our understanding that the battery itself was not independently examined per industry-accepted test standards.”
The company urges people to inspect batteries before use or charging, and stop using any battery that shows signs of damage, water ingress or corrosion, as it points out that those are common risks for all lithium-ion batteries.