CPSC Issues UPP E-bike Battery Warning After Reports of Fires, Property Damage

Federal safety officials are warning consumers to immediately stop using Unit Pack Power (UPP) E-bike batteries, due to a risk that they may overheat and catch on fire.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the E-bike Battery warning on April 15, indicating they are a serious public safety hazard, since the manufacturer has refused to cooperate by issuing an official recall.

UPP E-bike batteries are designed to turn a standard pedal bicycle into an electric one, which reduces the amount of physical effort required to move the bike, as the battery powered motor does the majority of the work. However, the CPSC has received at least 13 reports in the U.S. of the batteries overheating, resulting in at least seven fires and reports involving property damage.

The U.K government and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a similar warning after receiving reports of numerous fires. OPSS also notes that the batteries failed to meet some of the U.K’s regulations, as well as not being certified by an accredited lab in the U.S.

Lithium-Ion Battery Problems

The warning is just the latest concern over the use of poorly manufactured lithium-ion batteries in recent years, which have been linked to fires and overheating due to a problem known as thermal runaway. These events occur when a defective battery experiences a chain reaction leading to a rapid increase in temperature, potentially leading to overheating, fires, explosions, injuries, and deaths.

Their compact size and long battery life have led to widespread use in micromobility devices like hoverboards, electric scooters and e-bikes. In 2022, the CPSC received 200 reports of lithium-ion battery fires linked to e-mobility devices.

Most of the reports originated from densely populated areas like New York City, where e-scooters and other e-mobility devices are an increasingly popular alternative to passenger motor vehicles. E-scooters and similar devices are also frequently marketed to children, which has led to product recalls due to fire risks.

The CPSC issued a warning letter in December 2022 to manufactures and importers of e-scooters, self-balancing scooters, e-bicycles and e-unicycles to make sure the devices complied with UL safety standards. The commission indicates the UPP batteries do not.

UPP E-Bike Batteries 

The CPSC urges consumers to avoid using Unit Pack Power E-bike batteries that contain a model number “U004” or “U004-1”. They are black and triangular, with “U004 BATTERY” or “UPPBATTERY” printed on the side.

These battery units were sold from 2018 until the present under the labels “Unit Pack Power” or “UPP” through AliExpress, Amazon, DHgate, eBay, Walmart, and other online retail outlets. Additionally, the manufacturer sold them through the website unitpackpower.net  for between $280 to $730.

The batteries were manufactured by Shenzhen Unit Pack Power Technology Co. Ltd., d/b/a Unit Pack Power or UPP, which has refused to cooperate with the CPSC in issuing a e-bike battery recall.

The CPSC urges consumers to stop using the batteries and properly dispose of them properly by following instructions from their municipal recycling center for damaged, defective or recalled lithium batteries.

The commission reminds the public to always use certified batteries, to supervise the charging process at all times, avoid charging them while sleeping, and to only use the charger provided by the manufacturer.

Incidents involving Unit Pack Power batteries should be reported to the CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.