Campaign to boost awareness of e-bike battery risk

Cycling organisations want to dispel myths surrounding electric bikes

A campaign group said it wanted to promote the safe use of e-bikes after a number of high-profile house fires caused by defective batteries.

The Electric Bike Alliance said it feared consumer confidence would be affected by the dangers posed by dangerous chargers and conversion kits.

Their E-Bike Positive campaign would encourage people to only purchase lithium ion batteries from reputable suppliers and to avoid DIY modifications to their bikes.

Simon Blanshard, whose family home in Doncaster was destroyed by a fire caused by a charging battery, said he would support more rigorous testing of parts.

E-bikes have exploded in popularity

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's lithium ion technology expert Paul Holbrook also said properly manufactured batteries from approved providers were safe to use.

Yet research by the Electric Bike Alliance found that a quarter of UK adults they surveyed said they worried about e-bikes charging near to them.

Monica Scigliano from Cycling UK, which is part of the alliance, said e-bikes were ideal for those with mobility issues or who live in hilly areas such as Sheffield.

She said: "Many people don’t know how to identify a safe e-bike or a safe e-bike battery and charger, and one in four people say they are discouraged from trying an e-bike because they’ve been hearing about battery fires.

“We do know that a lot of the fires involve "aftermarket" bikes or batteries, sometimes second-hand batteries or converted bikes, which are more likely to have issues."

She added: "Reputable e-bikes and batteries are very safe and they do very rigorous safety testing.

“A lot of people resort to unsafe e-bikes because they can't afford quality e-bikes.”

Simon Blanshard's family home was devastated by a e-bike battery fire

Safety expert Mr Holbrook advised owners not to leave their bikes charging overnight at home or to store them blocking exit routes.

He said: "If the battery becomes damaged or you notice any sort of issue with it, then it's really important that it gets looked at by a proper engineer.

"It might feel like you're going to save a few pounds, but if they're not properly constructed and maintained then you could potentially have some serious consequences if you don’t buy a good one."

Fire victim Mr Blanchard, a father of five, said: "My battery was bought from a company and this still happened. The problem is they need a third party to test the cells before being sent on to the store.

He added: "They need an independent company that can test all cells correctly."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.