24,000 VIVI E-Bikes Recalled Over Battery Fire Risk

If you regularly plug your budget electric bike into a wall outlet before bed, you might want to double-check the brand name on the frame. The convenience of cheap electric transit has collided with a severe safety hazard. Federal safety regulators have just issued a strict warning about a popular online bicycle brand after multiple reports of spontaneous battery combustion.

14 Overheating Incidents and Three Confirmed Fires

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a mandatory halt on the use of these specific bicycles on July 17, 2025. According to the federal agency, the lithium-ion power cells mounted on the frames can unexpectedly overheat, leading to rapid thermal runaway. Once a battery of this size enters that volatile state, it becomes exceptionally difficult to extinguish with standard household methods. Fires of this nature burn very hot and can violently reignite hours after they appear to be out.

The problem is far from theoretical for the people who brought these units into their homes. The company has already logged 14 reports of batteries overheating during normal use or charging cycles.

More concerningly, this includes three confirmed reports of fires directly linked to the defective packs. While no serious injuries have been recorded yet, safety officials are not waiting for a tragedy to act. The sheer volume of units out in the wild makes this one of the more urgent widespread consumer warnings issued this year.

A Long List of Retailers and Hidden Manufacturers

Tracking down every affected bicycle is proving difficult because they were not sold through traditional brick-and-mortar bike shops. Instead, these budget-friendly models saturated the digital marketplace. Consumers snapped them up without a second thought, finding them heavily promoted on major shopping platforms.

The distribution network was complex and far-reaching. You could buy these units on Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Wish, Wayfair, Sears, AliExpress, and the brand’s own official website. Because the bikes were relatively affordable, they became a top pick for first-time buyers looking to test the waters of electric transit. This broad reach means the dangerous batteries could be sitting in garages across the country, prompting serious product liability concerns among legal advocates.

Behind the consumer branding, the actual hardware comes from overseas suppliers. The components were manufactured by Guangzhou Plenty Bicycle Co., Ltd. and distributed globally by Shenzhen Binxin Household Co., Ltd. These corporations might not be familiar to American shoppers, but they are dominant players in the global e-bike supply chain.

To know if your specific ride is caught up in this safety sweep, you need to check the model name printed on the frame or your original digital receipt. The affected 36-volt models include:

• C26, MT20, and Z3
• M026SH, H6, and H7
• MT26H, 26LGB, and M026TGB
• MT26G, FM20, and F20
• S3, Z1, and Z2

The High Price of a Cheap Lithium Cell

The electric bicycle market has exploded in recent years, with the US sector alone reaching an estimated $2.2 billion in 2024. As sales surged, an influx of overseas manufacturers rushed in to meet the demand. Many of these companies bypass strict testing to keep their retail prices under the threshold of premium brands. This aggressive cost-cutting frequently targets the most expensive component of the vehicle: the lithium-ion power source.

Industry experts have been warning about this exact scenario for years.

Here we go again – another Amazon e-bike brand that was selling what looks like a too-good-to-be-true electric bike with a questionable battery. And surprise: it catches fire.

Writing for Electrek, personal electric vehicle analyst Micah Toll highlighted the fundamental problem with these budget components. He pointed out that while global safety standards exist, UL certification is not legally required in most North American jurisdictions. Without that independent laboratory stamp of approval, consumers are essentially taking the manufacturer’s word that the cells will remain stable. This loophole has sparked an ongoing debate surrounding safety testing and import regulations for cheap electronics.

Some local governments are tired of waiting for federal mandates. In a push to stop apartment building blazes, New York City took drastic action in 2023 by requiring UL 2849 and UL 2271 certifications for any electric mobility device sold within city limits. Unfortunately, for buyers in most other states, it remains entirely legal for retailers to ship untested power packs directly to their doorsteps.

Why Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Are So Dangerous

Lithium-ion technology powers everything from smartphones to vehicles, offering impressive energy density in a small package. But when that concentrated energy escapes its intended path, the results are catastrophic. The chemical makeup of these cells means they do not just burn – they generate their own oxygen as they break down.

Because they create their own oxygen supply, a battery fire cannot be smothered with a blanket or easily put out with a standard household fire extinguisher. When a cell enters thermal runaway, it triggers a chain reaction deep inside the casing. One small cell overheats and bursts, which immediately superheats the adjacent cell, causing a cascading series of explosions that feed on each other.

This rapid spread is exactly why fire departments warn against keeping uncertified electric bicycles indoors. In a cramped apartment building or a cluttered garage, a thermal runaway event can engulf a room in toxic smoke and flames in less than three minutes. The chemical fumes released during this process are also highly toxic, making evacuation the only safe response.

What to Do With a Defective Unit Right Now

If you own one of the bicycles on the recall list, the directive from the CPSC is absolute. You must stop riding the bicycle immediately and disconnect it from any wall outlets. Do not plug it in again, even if you want to drain the remaining charge.

Your next step is to contact the manufacturer directly to claim a free replacement battery and an updated charger. The company has set up a dedicated support team to handle the influx of requests. They will require photo evidence of your current battery and the bike’s serial number to process the free upgrade, and you can find specific contact details through the official recall notice provided by regulators.

Disposing of the faulty power pack requires careful handling. You absolutely cannot throw a compromised lithium-ion cell into your standard household trash or a curbside recycling bin. The pressure of a garbage truck compactor could easily puncture the casing, causing an immediate chemical fire. Instead, these volatile units must be taken to a designated household hazardous waste collection facility, following specific handling guidelines for dangerous goods.

The fallout from this specific product failure will likely echo across the entire industry. As consumers become more aware of the dangers lurking inside cheap power cells, the pressure on digital marketplaces to mandate safety testing will only intensify. For anyone looking to buy an affordable ride today, the lesson is written clearly in the smoke. A heavily discounted two-wheeler is never a good deal if it turns your living room into a #ProductRecall statistic while you sleep. The true cost of #EBikeSafety is always paid eventually – either at the checkout screen, or when the fire trucks arrive.