Riverhead Restricts Electric Bike, Scooter Sales & Mods

Riverhead Town Board passed a law on December 5 to prohibit the sale and modifications of electric bikes and scooters with lithium batteries or chargers that have been cited as a fire risk.

Town code states the devices cannot be sold unless they’ve been tested and certified by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration nationally recognized testing laboratory, and certification is displayed on the product’s packaging or charging unit.

The code states that replacement batteries and battery charging equipment must be provided from the original manufacturer with certification from the producer. They also must be approved from testing in Underwriters Laboratories (UL), and these certifications must be displayed either on the product itself or on packaging or documentation.

“No person or entity shall alter, change, enhance, or modify an electric bicycle or electric scooter unless such alteration, change, enhancement or modification is consistent with the applicable certification standard and manufacturer’s instructions,” the code states.

The code also applies for all lithium and technician-replaceable lithium battery cells, both primary and secondary. The code states that lithium-based safety, household and commercial batteries must all pass the UL tests, with previous certification display rules in effect.

“When they’re stored inside and they’re not charged properly, they’re the ones that are literally like a bomb,” one resident told the town board during a prior hearing on the legislation. “Not so much these larger batteries, it’s these small, electric scooters.”

Town Attorney Erik Howard kept communication with the local fire department during the hearing process, stating, “I am aware that they have expressed concerns. This legislation is designed to help keep those types of battery systems out.”

The town will also address speed infractions as they occur.

Violators of the new code in Riverhead will face fines, the costs increasing with each offense. The first infraction will deal a $500-$1,500 fine, a second costs $2,500-$5,000 and a third ranging between $7,500-$15,000.

The code also states that each stock keeping unit will go in as a separate violation.