London 'on course for 200 e-bike fires in a year'

2025 could be the worst year for e-bike and e-scooter fires on record, with 169 recorded by the end of September, according to the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

It said while these fires affect a wide range of people, it believes that gig economy companies in particular should be using their platforms to do more to raise awareness among its workers about the fire risks presented by e-bikes.

The brigade said it plans to write to Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo to ask them to share safety advice with their riders after the rise in the number of fires caused by faulty e-bikes.

The LFB said if this trend continued, London would surpass 200 fires in a single year for the first time.

On 21 June, a 30-year-old woman became the fourth person to die in an e-bike fire in London, following a blaze in Wood Green.

Eden Abera Siem was discovered unconscious inside a property on Lordship Lane and was rescued by firefighters, but died in hospital later that day.

Following an investigation by the LFB, it was concluded the fire was most probably caused by the failure of a charging lithium-ion battery pack for an e-bike.

This was the first recorded e-bike fire death in London since 2023.

In all four fatal cases, the person who died did not own or use the e-bike involved in the fire.

LFB assistant commissioner Pamela Oparaocha said fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters had become "worryingly common".

She added: "Since the beginning of 2023, we have attended a fire, on average, every other day, and some of these fires have destroyed homes and claimed lives.

"We launched our #ChargeSafe campaign in 2023 to highlight the fire risks with e-bikes and e-scooters; however the rising number of incidents we attend clearly demonstrate the urgent need for further awareness to help protect lives and avoid future tragedies."

The damage caused by e-bike fires can be extensive

LFB says many of these fires are caused by incompatible chargers, modifications to e-bikes, or faulty or counterfeit products which are purchased online.

This includes chargers, lithium batteries and conversion kits for e-bikes.

E-bikes and e-scooters are powered by lithium batteries, which store a significant amount of energy in a very small space and are much more powerful than many other types of battery.

If that energy is released in an uncontrolled way, then a fire or explosion can result.

Private e-scooters and e-bikes have increased in popularity over recent years

The LFB said it had advised government on how to strengthen legislation so that it better regulates unsafe, poor quality or non-compliant lithium battery products being sold online.

Electrical Safety First, a charity dedicated to reducing domestic electrical accidents, has called on the government to be "brave and bold when considering what regulations they will introduce to tackle these fires".

The charity said it wanted to see the introduction of third-party certification for e-bike batteries to ensure they are safe before they can be sold on the UK market.

Chief executive Lesley Rudd said: "Strict new safety standards for conversion kits that turn push bikes into e-bikes must also be urgently introduced, alongside tough new laws to clamp down on online marketplace giants whose platforms commonly host the sale of substandard goods."