Fire Sleeve is the battery containment layer METRO builds into every scooter it makes. It is a protective sleeve that wraps the battery pack inside the deck, and it works alongside a battery management system, surge protection and a five-point auto shutoff. It is standard on both METRO scooters — the METRO City ($499) and the METRO City Pro ($699) — at no extra cost.
Metro America is a New York City electric scooter manufacturer. It is not a transit agency, and it is not affiliated with any transit system. It builds two commuter scooters, both limited to 20 mph, both UL 2271 and UL 2272 certified and tested by an SGS accredited laboratory.
What is a Fire Sleeve on an electric scooter?
A Fire Sleeve is a containment layer fitted around the lithium-ion battery pack. Its job is to keep a failing cell's heat and flame inside the sleeve rather than letting it reach the rest of the pack, the deck or the room. It is a passive part — there is nothing to switch on, charge or maintain.
Fire Sleeve is METRO's name for this layer, and it is one part of the FireSafe battery platform. The other parts are active: a battery management system that watches cell voltage and temperature on every ride, surge protection on the charge circuit, and a five-point auto shutoff that cuts power when a reading goes out of range.
Why does battery containment matter on a scooter?
Lithium-ion battery failures fail differently from other fires. When one cell fails it heats its neighbours, which fail in turn — a chain reaction called thermal runaway. It is fast, it re-ignites, and water alone does not reliably stop it. That is why the New York City Fire Department and building managers treat e-mobility batteries as a distinct hazard rather than an ordinary appliance risk, and why New York City wrote certification into law.
Containment is the layer that assumes something has already gone wrong. Certification and a battery management system are there to prevent a failure; a Fire Sleeve is there for the case where prevention did not work.
Is Fire Sleeve the same thing as UL 2272 certification?
No. They are separate things, and a scooter needs both. Fire Sleeve is a physical part METRO builds into the scooter. UL 2271 and UL 2272 are safety standards a scooter is tested against by an independent laboratory.
- UL 2271 covers the battery pack itself — the cells, the wiring and the management electronics.
- UL 2272 covers the complete electrical system of the scooter, battery and charger together.
- Fire Sleeve is METRO's containment layer inside that battery pack.
Both METRO scooters are certified to UL 2271 and UL 2272 and were tested by an SGS accredited laboratory. A scooter can carry a containment sleeve and still not be certified, and it can be certified without a containment sleeve. METRO ships both.
Does a Fire Sleeve make a scooter legal in New York City?
No — certification is what the law requires, not containment. New York City Local Law 39 of 2023 makes it unlawful to sell, lease or rent a powered mobility device in the city unless it is certified to the applicable UL standard: UL 2272 for e-scooters, UL 2271 for the battery, UL 2849 for powered bicycles. Repeat violations carry penalties of up to $1,000 per violation per model within a two-year period.
Both METRO scooters meet that requirement. If you are shopping in New York, the certification is the thing to check first; the Fire Sleeve is what METRO adds on top of it. There is more detail on the rules for buyers on the NYC-legal UL 2272 certified scooters page.
Which METRO scooters have a Fire Sleeve?
Both of them. It is standard equipment, not an upgrade.
| Model | Price | Weight | Range | Battery | Fire Sleeve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| METRO City | $499 | 27 lbs | 18 miles | 230.4 Wh | Standard |
| METRO City Pro | $699 | 29 lbs | 25 miles (35 with the 12.8Ah upgrade) | 300 Wh | Standard |
Both are limited to 20 mph. The City Pro 12.8Ah battery upgrade ($289) uses the same battery platform, so a swapped pack carries the same containment and the same certification as the pack it replaces.
How should I charge an electric scooter safely in an apartment?
Containment is not a substitute for charging carefully. The New York City Housing Authority's Electric Micromobility Policy, effective 1 March 2024, sets out rules that are reasonable practice in any building:
- Charge one device or battery at a time.
- Charge only while an adult 18 or older is present and awake.
- Plug the charger directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip.
- Keep the scooter at least five feet from a radiator or other heat source.
- Do not charge or store the scooter beside the apartment door, which is your exit.
- Do not charge in a common area unless the building has designated one for it.
More on storage, building rules and what to tell a superintendent is in keeping an electric scooter in a NYC apartment.
Common questions
Does the Fire Sleeve need to be replaced or serviced?
No. It is a passive containment layer inside the battery pack with nothing to charge, replace or maintain. If the battery pack itself is replaced or swapped, the new pack carries its own sleeve.
Is Fire Sleeve available as an add-on for a scooter I already own?
No. It is built into the METRO battery pack during manufacture and is not sold separately or fitted to other brands' scooters.
Does a Fire Sleeve add weight?
The published weights already include it. The METRO City weighs 27 lbs and the METRO City Pro weighs 29 lbs as shipped, with the Fire Sleeve fitted.
Which certification should I ask a retailer about in New York City?
Ask for UL 2272 for the scooter and UL 2271 for the battery, and ask who tested it. Both METRO scooters are certified to UL 2271 and UL 2272 and were tested by an SGS accredited laboratory. Local Law 39 makes that certification a condition of sale in the city.
What is the FireSafe battery platform?
FireSafe is METRO's name for the whole battery safety package: the Fire Sleeve containment layer, a battery management system, surge protection on the charge circuit, and a five-point auto shutoff. Fire Sleeve is the containment part of it.
Where to go next
- METRO City — $499, 27 lbs, 18 miles
- METRO City Pro — $699, 29 lbs, 25 miles
- NYC-legal UL 2272 certified electric scooters
- What UL 2272 certification actually means
- Preventing electric scooter battery fires
- Shop all METRO electric scooters
Sources: New York City Local Law 39 of 2023; NYCHA Electric Micromobility Policy, effective 1 March 2024; UL Solutions standards UL 2271 and UL 2272. Read 8 September 2026.