---
title: "Lime Recalled Thousands of Scooters Because They Were Catching Fire"
description: "Lime has officially recalled 2,000 of its scooters from three major U.S. cities after reports that some of its scooters were catching fire."
date: "2018-10-31"
modified: "2018-10-31"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/report-lime-recalling-scooters-catching-fire"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
tags:
  - "battery"
  - "electric scooter"
  - "lime"
  - "the digest"
---

# Lime Recalled Thousands of Scooters Because They Were Catching Fire

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/report-lime-recalling-scooters-catching-fire.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Lime\</em\>*

## Fire Sale

What's worse than inconsiderate teens leaving electric scooters on the sidewalk? Electric scooters on the sidewalk that catch fire.

The *Washington Post* [caught wind](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/10/30/electric-scooter-giant-lime-recalled-scooters-amid-fears-that-some-could-catch-fire/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bcd4dfefd350>) of evidence that some of Lime's electric scooters had bursting into flames. In response to questions from the newspaper, Lime admitted it had pulled thousands of its scooters off the streets of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Lake Tahoe because of fire safety concerns.

## Quick Fix

In a [blog post](<https://www.li.me/blog/update-for-our-community>), Lime blamed a "manufacturing defect" for some of its scooters' batteries "smoldering, or in some cases, catching fire."

It also said it's working on a fix: it wrote a piece of software that could detect if a particular battery is affected and automatically deactivate it. Exactly how that would work is still unclear.

## Heated Debate

Is the hem of your pants about to catch fire on the way to work? Unlikely, according to the company.

"At no time were riders or members of the public put at risk," read the Lime blog post.

But it's bound to be yet another black mark on an already-controversial scooters. City dwellers across the country have been [calling the scooters a public nuisance](<https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-cease-desist-bird-lime-spin-electric-scooter-startups-2018-4>) thanks to them being left blocking sidewalks or even endangering pedestrians.

**READ MORE:** [Electric scooter giant Lime says it recalled scooters amid fears that some could catch on fire](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/10/30/electric-scooter-giant-lime-recalled-scooters-amid-fears-that-some-could-catch-fire>) \[*Washington Post*\]

***More on electric scooters: [Scooters Are Definitely Not the Future of Transportation](<https://futurism.com/scooter-not-future-transportation>)***

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)