New Statistics on the Dangers of E-Bikes

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests reveal that UK fire and rescue services attended a record 432 e-bike fires in 2025—a 38% increase from 313 in 2024 and more than five times higher than the 84 recorded in 2021.

An investigation by the Press Association analysed battery-related incidents attended between 2021 and 2025, sending FOI requests to 49 UK fire and rescue services, with 37 responding.

Key UK E-Mobility Fire Findings

• E-Scooter Surge: There were 147 e-scooter fires in 2025, up 20% from 123 in 2024;

• Regional Breakdown: The London Fire Brigade (LFB) recorded the highest volume with 171 e-bike and 35 e-scooter fires in 2025. Outside the capital, Nottinghamshire attended 30 e-bike fires, while Greater Manchester recorded 13 e-bike and 13 e-scooter incidents. Avon also recorded 10 e-bike and 10 e-scooter fires; and

• North-West Spike: BBC News reported a major regional surge across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Merseyside, which logged a combined 54 e-bike fires in 2025.

Ignition Sources and Market Vulnerabilities

Lithium-ion battery failures are overwhelmingly driven by faulty or damaged components, overheated chargers, and retrofitted DIY conversion kits.

According to Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) data, conversion kits present an exceptionally high risk: nearly half (45%) of reported e-bike fires involved post-market conversions, and 49% of conversion-kit fires occurred while actively charging.

The Guardian reported insights from Nick Bailey of BatteryIQ, who emphasized that affected e-bikes and e-scooters are almost universally "cut-price products sold through online marketplaces with lax quality control." He added: "There’s also a growing black market in DIY and counterfeit batteries, particularly for delivery riders, built using battery cells reclaimed from used disposable vapes."

Regulatory Reforms and Safety Advice

Because lithium-ion battery fires spread rapidly and emit toxic vapor, safety experts urge extreme caution regarding sourcing and charging. Karl Gibbons, Head of Prevention at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, stated:

"Buy a device from an approved reputable dealer. Look for UKCA or CE markings to show that that's been quality-checked in terms of the build."

Driven by these statistics, the UK government launched new consultations in March 2026 to update consumer product safety rules under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, introducing stricter regulatory oversight for online marketplaces.