JOCO’s Fireproof Cabinets Stop E-bike Battery Fires
Deadly fires caused by e-bikes’ lithium ion batteries have set off attempts to regulate the vehicles by multifamily buildings and politicians.
In New York, where delivery workers and other residents have embraced e-bike use since their legalization in 2020, fires have caused 74 injuries and 13 deaths as of July 3, TechCrunch reported, citing statistics from the Fire Department of New York. That is twice as many deaths than in all of 2022 and three times the number from 2021.
That sounded like a problem to the co-founders of JOCO, which operates an e-bike rideshare company. JOCO, founded by two men named Jonathan Cohenm, will now offer fireproof cabinets to store lithium ion batteries.
“It’s becoming increasingly more important,” said one of the Jonathan Cohens, who is from London. “They’re the fastest selling electric vehicle period, faster than electric cars. These buildings have to figure out how to accommodate them.”
Damaged or poorly manufactured batteries caused most of the blazes. Delivery workers, who on average make below the minimum wage, often buy cheap or second-hand batteries because those that are certified can cost up to $1,000. In September, a law went into effect in New York City that requires all sales and rentals of e-bikes to meet certain safety standards.
JOCO had incentive to find a solution. The company aims its service at delivery workers and has more than 60 locations across New York, Chicago and Miami.
“Our mission is to remove cars and trucks from streets for last-mile delivery,” the other Cohen, who is based in New York, said. “When you consider tickets, gas, delivery, it’s more favorable to not use them. We’re becoming a great option in a safe and sustainable manner. We saw the whole e-bike-fire issue coming and we produced proprietary fireproof cabinets.”
The firm has also drawn scrutiny for running afoul of local safety regulations. In July, the city fined JOCO and Grubhub nearly $6,500 for having 60 uncertified lithium ion batteries at a SoHo e-bike charging station, according to The City.
The cabinets range from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on their size and quality. To use one, an e-bike rider removes the battery from the bike, connects the battery to a cabinet slot and closes the door.
“Once the doors are shut, should anything happen, everything is contained in the cabinet,” the New York Cohen said.
The fire department gave its seal of approval with a “Letter of No Objection,” making JOCO the first New York-based company to receive it and the second company in the marketplace to receive it, according to the Cohens.
The Cohens say there are two markets for the cabinets: delivery companies like Grubhub, Orbital Kitchens and Gopuff, and residential and office building owners whose tenants ride e-bikes.
“Banning e-bikes is not the only option; storing them safely is an even better option,” the Cohens said in a statement.
