Fires originating from e-bike and e-scooter batteries have resulted in at least 18 deaths and nearly 700 injuries, according to data gathered by BBC Verify. Several coroners have raised alarms regarding the dangers associated with these batteries, issuing at least five Prevention of Future Deaths reports since 2023 with recommendations aimed at enhancing public safety.
One such case involved eight-year-old Luke Albiston-O'Donnell, who died in 2024 after inhaling toxic fumes from a house fire caused by a charging e-bike battery. Following an inquest, coroner Anita Bhardwaj emphasized the lack of public awareness concerning the life-threatening risks posed by storing lithium-ion batteries from e-bikes within homes. Similarly, in 2023, 28-year-old Mohsin Janjua died in a fire that investigations later linked to a "catastrophic failure" of a battery in an e-bike conversion kit purchased online.
Other fatalities have been connected to e-bikes and e-scooters that did not meet UK safety standards. Industry representatives note that while legitimate retailers have invested in safe products, these efforts are undermined by illegal and unsafe items frequently sold through online marketplaces to unsuspecting consumers. Schemes such as "E-Bike Positive" aim to help consumers identify compliant products and retailers.
The Bicycle Association and the Association of Cycle Traders have urged the government to take action against the sale of unsafe e-bikes online and to address the demand for low-cost e-bikes and scooters, which is partly driven by the gig economy.
A government spokesperson stated that action is being taken to protect consumers from the serious fire risk posed by unsafe e-bike and e-scooter batteries. This includes strengthening the responsibilities of online marketplaces, collaborating with local authorities to remove unsafe products from sale, and promoting consumer awareness through campaigns like "Buy Safe, Be Safe."
BBC Verify collected data by sending Freedom of Information requests to 49 fire and rescue services across the UK. Forty-one services provided comparable responses regarding fires where the source of ignition was identified as an e-bike or e-scooter battery. Data on casualties, fatalities, and the number of fires within dwellings was not available from Greater Manchester and West Sussex fire services. The methodology involved text searches for "e-bike," "e-scooter," and related terms, with clear incidents of arson and mobility scooter fires excluded from the analysis. While efforts were made to capture all relevant incidents, some reports may have been missed if e-bikes or e-scooters were not explicitly mentioned in the fire service logs.