Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these.
Apr 27, 2024
0 Comments
Share
Warning details risk of serious injury and death to users of the aftermarket battery.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning of “serious injury and death” presented by the Unit Pack Power lithium-ion e-bike batteries. The commission says that public health and safety demand that the warning be issued immediately to warn the public of the risk of the fire and burn hazard posed by the product.
The CPSC wants consumers to stop using Unit Power Pack batteries with the model numbers U004 or U004-1. The batteries are black, triangular and feature straps to attach the battery to the bike’s frame. These are batteries that are part of a conversion kit to turn regular bikes into e-bikes. Either “U004 BATTERY” or “UPPBATTERY” is printed on the side. The model number can be found printed elsewhere on the battery.
The CPSC reports that there have been 13 reports of batteries that overheated including seven fires caused by the batteries in the U.S. Additional fires have been reported in the United Kingdom.
The batteries were sold on the manufacturer’s own website, unitpackpower.com as well as AliExpress, Amazon, DHgate, eBay, Walmart and other online retailers between 2018 and April 2024. The batteries retailed between $280 and $730.
The batteries need to be disposed of safely, according to local and state ordinances. It should not be thrown in the trash or placed in a battery recycling box. It needs to be disposed according the guidelines regarding damaged/defective/recalled batteries, which are different than standard battery disposal guidelines.
Consumers are encouraged to report any incidents with the Unit Pack Power battery at www.SaferProducts.gov. You can read the CPSC’s full notice here.
The Unit Power Pack batteries provide an unfortunate example of why purchasing UL-certified e-bikes and batteries is critical to keeping your family and home safe.
We’ve reported previously on lithium-ion battery fires and the risk poor-quality batteries pose. We’ve yet to encounter a single report of a problem with a battery or e-bike carrying UL certification. Buying from a reputable company is the best insurance against future problems.
*Please help support our efforts at Electric Bike Report. We work hard to provide the highest quality content, news, and reviews for our readers – and our sponsors make all of this possible. Please visit our sponsors from their ads on our website and let them know that you appreciate what they do for the e-bike industry and Electric Bike Report
Sponsors
Reader Interactions
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
