Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act
The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act would require the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish formal, final consumer safety standards for certain lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices. Within 180 days of enactment, the CPSC must adopt as final standards three existing ANSI/CAN/UL standards (2271 for batteries in light electric vehicle applications, 2849 for e-bike electrical systems, and 2272 for personal mobility devices), as in effect on enactment date. The bill confines the standards to “consumer products” as defined by current law. It also creates a process for updating standards when the underlying voluntary standards are revised, and treats these standards as CPSC safety rules. Finally, it requires a Congress-facing report within five years on fires, explosions, and other hazards involving lithium-ion batteries in micromobility products, including specific details about sources, battery make/model, compliance, and manufacture. In short, the bill channels established voluntary lithium-ion battery standards into formal federal safety rules for consumer micromobility products and sets up a mechanism to monitor and report hazards over time.
Key Points
- 1The CPSC must promulgate final consumer safety standards within 180 days, adopting ANSI/CAN/UL 2271 (batteries for light electric vehicle applications), ANSI/CAN/UL 2849 (eBike electrical systems), and ANSI/CAN/UL 2272 (personal mobility device electrical systems) as in effect on enactment.
- 2Scope is limited to consumer products as defined in the Consumer Product Safety Act, ensuring the standards apply to consumer-use devices rather than industrial or non-consumer applications.
- 3If any of the referenced voluntary standards are revised after enactment, the organization that issued the revision must notify the CPSC; the revision becomes an effective consumer safety standard 180 days after notification unless the CPSC objects within 90 days and retains the existing standard.
- 4Standards adopted or revised under this act are treated as consumer product safety rules under the Consumer Product Safety Act (section 9), giving them formal regulatory status.
- 5A congressionally mandated report is due within 5 years, detailing fires, explosions, and other hazards involving lithium-ion batteries in micromobility products, including sources, make/model, whether the battery complied with the standard, and manufacturer/country of manufacture if known.