Eleven people were killed in flames caused by e-bikes in the United Kingdom last year, sparking calls for immediate action against the sale of unsafe equipment.
E-bike fires are especially dangerous since they may quickly ignite into a firestorm and are sometimes left to charge overnight in hallways, blocking what may be the only exit. Campaigners have compared the most harmful items to “unexploded bombs.
According to new numbers from the Office for Product and Safety Standards (OPSS), last year saw the highest number of deaths from e-bike fires in the UK.
MPs and safety groups are demanding third-party certification to ensure that e-bikes, e-scooters, and batteries are authorized by an impartial agency before being sold.
Fire safety experts advise people to buy from a reliable vendor and caution that e-bikes equipped with conversion kits or batteries purchased online may offer a greater risk.
Sofia Duarte, 21, died on New Year’s Day 2023 when a fire broke out in the corridor of the apartment she was staying at in Bermondsey, south-east London, according to an inquest held last month. An unbranded battery pack mounted on a modified bike is believed to have started the fire.
The London Fire Brigade cautions that e-bikes and e-scooters are the capital’s fastest-growing fire risk. The service reported 149 e-bike fires in 2023, with three deaths, and 87 e-bike fires in 2022, with no deaths. According to the service’s investigation of 73 e-bike fires in the city during the first six months of last year, at least 40% were thought to involve a converted e-bike.
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of the charity Electrical Safety First, said the charity wanted governments to follow the measures in a 10-minute rule bill on e-bike safety that Fovargue was planning to introduce, which included third-party certification.
According to a government spokeswoman, the OPSS collaborates closely with the fire service to attempt to prevent catastrophic accidents and has taken steps to remove harmful products from the market, including e-bike batteries, as well as issued guidelines for customers on how to operate e-bikes safely.