Late November 2025 marked an unusual moment in the e-bike world: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an official warning urging owners of certain Rad Power Bikes lithium-ion batteries to stop using them immediately due to fire hazards and risks of serious injury or death. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission+1
The advisory specifically highlighted batteries with model numbers RP-1304 and HL-RP-S1304 — components sold both with bikes like the RadWagon 4 and RadCity HS 4 and as standalone replacements. According to the CPSC, there have been 31 reported fire incidents, including at least 12 cases of property damage totaling roughly $734,500, some occurring even while batteries were unused and unplugged. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
In a rare public safety intervention, the federal agency recommended that owners remove these batteries from service and dispose of them at hazardous waste facilities, rather than continuing to ride or charge them. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Balancing Facts and Fairness
It’s important to underscore that federal safety warnings are not proclamations of imminent danger for every rider — and lithium-ion technology itself isn’t inherently unsafe. All high-capacity rechargeable batteries require careful handling, storage, and maintenance. But the CPSC’s alert, backed by multiple media reports, signals a notable risk associated with specific legacy units that have seen real incidents. consumerreports.org
Rad Power Bikes has acknowledged the discussions with regulators but declined to issue a broad recall, citing financial constraints and proposing that replacing all affected units “would immediately put Rad out of business.” https://www.ksla.com While nuanced, that stance leaves many riders without a clear path forward — especially as older batteries age and replacement inventories grow uncertain.
