Public paper · October 5, 2026 · Consumer Safety desk · National
Got an Opinion on E-Bike Battery Fires? The Government Will Hear You Out on Oct. 21
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is holding a free online hearing on its proposed safety rule for lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, scooters and similar rides. Anyone who wants to speak must sign up by 5 p.m. Eastern on Oct. 15.
noticenearby.com/papers/cpsc-ebike-battery-rule-hearing-oct-21.pdf
The batteries that power e-bikes and electric scooters can overheat, catch fire, or even explode. Now the federal government wants to hear from the public before it sets new safety rules for them.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced in the Federal Register on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, that it will hold a virtual public hearing at 10 a.m. Eastern time (7 a.m. Pacific) on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. The topic is the agency's proposed safety standard for lithium-ion batteries used in "micromobility" products. That is the government's word for small electric rides like e-bikes and e-scooters.
What the rule is about
CPSC first proposed the rule on June 24, 2026. The agency says it wants to cut the "unreasonable risk of injury and death" from these batteries. The main danger it names is "thermal runaway." That happens when a battery cell overheats and the heat spreads. It can lead to fires, explosions, gas leaks, burns, and smoke inhalation.
Under the proposal, the electrical systems that use these batteries would have to meet existing voluntary industry safety standards, with some changes made by CPSC. Some of these products are made for kids. Those would also need testing by an outside lab.
Written comments on the proposal closed on Aug. 24, 2026. But federal law also gives people the right to speak their views out loud, and CPSC says it got requests to do that. So it set up this hearing. The commissioners voted 3–0 to publish the notice.
How to speak at the hearing
- Email the written text of what you plan to say to the CPSC Office of the Secretary at cpsc-os@cpsc.gov. Use the subject line "Lithium-Ion Battery NPRM; Oral Presentation."
- Pre-register for the webinar using the link in the Federal Register notice: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/49fa92df-dd39-4c16-803b-cd59dd7847b8@7f5de26c-a63d-475c-9b6c-4126a914e132?source=copyLinkLegacyShareLinkDialog
- Both steps must be done by 5 p.m. Eastern (2 p.m. Pacific) on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
- Each speaker gets 5 minutes, not counting questions from commissioners or staff.
- Stick to the topic of the proposed rule. Groups with similar views are asked to choose one spokesperson.
Want to just watch? Attendance is free. Register at the same link before the hearing starts. Everything said will become part of the official record, and CPSC must keep a transcript.
Who to contact
For questions about the rule itself, contact Jay Kadiwala, project manager and electrical engineer in CPSC's Office of Risk Reduction, at (301) 987-2517 or jkadiwala@cpsc.gov. For questions about how the hearing works, contact Alberta E. Mills in the Office of the Secretary at 301-504-7479.
Why it matters
If you ride, sell, repair, or charge an e-bike or scooter, or live in a building where people do, this rule could change what batteries end up in stores. This hearing is the last scheduled chance to put your views on the record out loud.
Sources
- Federal Register, Oct. 5, 2026, CPSC hearing notice, FR Doc. 2026-20296, Docket CPSC-2025-0012, RIN 3041-AE10, 91 FR 63208: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/05/2026-20296/safety-standard-for-lithium-ion-batteries-used-in-micromobility-products-and-electrical-systems-of
- Official text (GovInfo XML): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-10-05/xml/2026-20296.xml
- Original proposed rule, June 24, 2026, FR Doc. 2026-12749, 91 FR 38162: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/24/2026-12749/safety-standard-for-lithium-ion-batteries-used-in-micromobility-products-and-electrical-systems-of
- Webinar registration link (from the notice): https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/49fa92df-dd39-4c16-803b-cd59dd7847b8@7f5de26c-a63d-475c-9b6c-4126a914e132?source=copyLinkLegacyShareLinkDialog
Notes and sources
- Written by Notice Nearby from the Federal Register notice (FR Doc. 2026-20296) and CPSC proposed rule (FR Doc. 2026-12749). Original Notice Nearby write-up.
- Times are Eastern with Pacific in parentheses. Speaker sign-up closes 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Hearing: 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT) Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.
- Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).
Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).