The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) that could significantly reshape the micromobility industry. The CPSC issued the NPR to address what it describes as an “unreasonable risk of death and injury” associated with lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility products, including risks tied to thermal runaway that can lead to fires, explosions, gas releases, burns, overheating, and smoke inhalation. If finalized, the rule would impose mandatory safety requirements on a wide range of popular consumer products — from e-bikes to hoverboards.

Continue Reading CPSC’s Proposed Micromobility Rule Could Reshape the E-Bike and E-Scooter Industry: What Manufacturers and Retailers Need to Know About Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Requirements

Monday, December 20, 2021

Bureau of Competition: Retail Fuel Merger

  • The FTC entered into a consent order with Global Partners LP and Richard Wiehl to settle charges that Global’s proposed acquisition of Wiehl’s chain of 27 retail gasoline service stations would violate federal antitrust laws. Under the order, Global and Wiehl must divest seven fuel outlets to Petroleum Marketing Investment Group, and for the next ten years, Global must obtain prior approval from the Commission before acquiring retail fuel assets within two miles of any of the divested outlets. Concurrently with the order, the agency issued an analysis explaining the potential anticompetitive effects of the proposed acquisition and how the consent agreement remedies those effects.

Continue Reading FTC Updates (December 20, 2021 – January 7, 2022)