CPSC Issues Warning on Unit Pack Power Batteries

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning of “serious injury and death” presented by the Unit Pack Power lithium-ion e-bike batteries. The commission says that public health and safety demand that the warning be issued immediately to warn the public of the risk of the fire and burn hazard posed by the product.

The CPSC wants consumers to stop using Unit Power Pack batteries with the model numbers U004 or U004-1. The batteries are black, triangular and feature straps to attach the battery to the bike’s frame. These are batteries that are part of a conversion kit to turn regular bikes into e-bikes. Either “U004 BATTERY” or “UPPBATTERY” is printed on the side. The model number can be found printed elsewhere on the battery.

The CPSC reports that there have been 13 reports of batteries that overheated including seven fires caused by the batteries in the U.S. Additional fires have been reported in the United Kingdom.

The batteries were sold on the manufacturer’s own website, unitpackpower.com as well as AliExpress, Amazon, DHgate, eBay, Walmart and other online retailers between 2018 and April 2024. The batteries retailed between $280 and $730.

The batteries need to be disposed of safely, according to local and state ordinances. It should not be thrown in the trash or placed in a battery recycling box. It needs to be disposed according the guidelines regarding damaged/defective/recalled batteries, which are different than standard battery disposal guidelines.

Consumers are encouraged to report any incidents with the Unit Pack Power battery at www.SaferProducts.gov. You can read the CPSC’s full notice here.