Rad Power Bikes in crisis? Seattle company hit with battery warning but cannot afford a fix

November 24, 2025

Rad Power Bikes, once the dominant force in North America’s e-bike market, is facing escalating turmoil after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an urgent warning, advising consumers to immediately stop using some of its batteries due to fire hazard and risk of serious injury or, even, death.

According to the CPSC, officials have documented 31 battery fires, including 12 incidents causing an estimated $734,500 in property damage. Some fires occurred while the bikes were idle or in storage.

The CPSC alert targets certain batteries used in numerous Rad e-bike models, including the RadWagon 4, RadCity 4, RadRover 5, RadRunner 1 and 2, RadRunner Plus, and RadExpand 5. The affected models use battery numbers RP-1304 and HL-RP-S1304, which federal regulators say can ignite or explode unexpectedly, even when not charging.

The agency is urging owners to remove the battery immediately and dispose of it through proper hazardous waste channels.

The safety notice comes just one week after the company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) with Washington state regulators, informing employees of a potential “cessation of operations” as early as January 2026, if it cannot secure new funding or an acquisition.

The filing warned that a shutdown could affect 64 jobs, including executive leadership, customer support staff and mechanics. Executives described the move as precautionary yet acknowledged that Rad is actively seeking buyers and investors to continue operations. Cycling Weekly