Urgent action needed to tackle deadly e-bike and e-scooter fires
Fires caused by substandard e-bike and e-scooters have resulted in death, injury, and destruction of property across the UK. Electrical Safety First (ESF) is calling for tougher rules to halt this growing threat before more lives are lost.
E-bikes and e-scooters are an increasingly common sight on the roads of UK towns and cities. They provide a fast, affordable, and environmentally friendly way for people to move around.
However, with this new technology also comes a new set of risks. Electrical Safety First (ESF) reveals that, since 2020, there have been battery fires associated with e-bikes and e-scooters in the constituencies of more than 180 UK MPs. London tops the list of reported incidences, averaging an incident every other day.
The fires are often severe and almost impossible to extinguish. They have caused widespread destruction, resulting in 15 fatalities since 2020, multiple injuries, and widespread property damage. With the number of these devices on UK streets only set to increase, ESF told PoliticsHome that there is an urgent need for regulatory changes in the Government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Bill to address the escalating risks and protect the public.
Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of ESF explained that poor-quality batteries, unsafe charging practices, and makeshift conversion kits often lie behind these incidents.
In particular, Rudd highlighted increasing concern over purchases online that fall short of safety standards. Online marketplaces are significant sources of battery sales, allowing unsafe products to enter UK homes with ease. Unlike bricks-and-mortar retailers, these platforms currently face minimal accountability for product safety.
“Many consumers purchase devices, chargers, batteries or conversion kits online, and assume they are protected by them being built to specific safety standards. However, these standards, don’t apply to marketplace sellers,” Rudd explained. “Our recent survey found that over a third of respondents purchased e-bike equipment from online platforms, with 85% mistakenly trusting the safety of these products. This is creating serious risks for people, communities, and property.”
E-bikes and e-scooters have become one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks
Rudd also highlighted how ESF has had positive engagement with the bicycle industry and commented that “although more action is required, sticking to reputable sellers will help to provide some assurance about the safety of your e-bike.
Neil Coyle MP has witnessed the devastating impact of fires caused by defective batteries in his Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency.
"In Southwark, we have seen the loss of life through faulty goods causing fires,” he told PoliticsHome. “No one should be put at risk when buying in-store or online in the UK, but I fear there will be more deaths until online sales platforms like Amazon act more responsibly.”
Although lithium-ion batteries are safely used in many different products, their use in e-bikes and e-scooters carries unique challenges. When a lithium-ion battery malfunctions, it can trigger an uncontrolled chain reaction that releases energy explosively. The result are spontaneous fires that can exceed temperatures of 600 degrees Celsius and release toxic gases, like hydrofluoric acid, posing serious risks to anyone nearby including emergency responders.
“For devices as powerful as e-bikes, a single fully charged battery can contain energy equivalent to six hand grenades,” Rudd said. “The public is simply not aware of the danger that these items can pose.”
The devastating impact of fires means that it is not just e-bike and e-scooter owners who are at risk. With building safety still high on the political agenda, the ESF survey contains other concerning findings. It found that almost half of users responding to the survey charge their devices in communal areas and over half charge their devices overnight while they sleep. In high-density residences, that could be a deadly combination.
ESF has amplified calls for urgent action and nearly 100 national organisations, including the London Fire Brigade, Brompton Bike Hire, Which?, the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards, and over 500 local councils are backing ESF’s recommendations.
Deputy Commissioner Charlie Pugsley told PoliticsHome why the London Fire Brigade was backing the ESF campaign and calling for more protection for consumers.
“E-bikes and e-scooters have become one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks which is why we have been running our #ChargeSafe campaign, providing advice to the public on how to buy, store and charge these vehicles safely,” he told us. “We have also been calling for Government to introduce much-needed regulation for online marketplaces to ensure products like lithium-ion batteries, chargers, and conversion kits are strictly regulated.”
A Government spokesperson told PoliticsHome that they do recognise the growing risks and are already taking action to address them.
“Public safety is our absolute priority, and we take the risk of e-scooter and e-cycle fires very seriously,” they said. “We’ve launched the ‘Be Safe Buy Safe’ campaign and are overhauling our product safety laws to address fire risks and remove unsafe products from the market as swiftly as possible.”
No one should be put at risk when buying in-store or online in the UK
However, campaigners believe that more robust action is needed to create a legislative and regulatory framework that reflects the growing risks that these products are creating. As the Government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Bill passes its House of Lords Committee Stage, ESF is calling on peers to make a series of amendments including third-party certification of lithium-ion batteries, safety standards for chargers and DIY conversion kits, and stronger rules around battery disposal, that would enable secondary regulations to be developed and delivered at pace to tackle these issues.
Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Foster of Bath, agrees that the legislation needs to be strengthened. He told PoliticsHome that during the passage of the Bill, he and his colleagues have also been urging the Government to take action and address the sharp increase in fires caused by these batteries.
“While essential for our zero-carbon goals, these batteries can be dangerous,” he said. “To ensure these products are safe in use, Liberal Democrats have proposed amendments to introduce tighter regulation and independent safety testing, aiming to raise standards for the manufacturing, usage, installation, and disposal of these products.”
ESF welcomes the introduction of the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill and urges parliamentarians of all parties to take advantage of the opportunity it offers to strengthen legislation. ESF’s campaign has extensive support and if its recommendations are implemented lives will be saved.
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