E-bike and e-scooter warning issued amid ‘growing’ black market | EUROtoday

E-bike and e-scooter fires reached document highs throughout the UK final yr, prompting pressing warnings to riders about merchandise bought from on-line marketplaces.

Fire brigade figures, obtained by the Press Association, present 432 e-bike blazes had been recorded in 2025. This is up 38 per cent from 313 the earlier yr, and greater than 5 instances larger than the 84 in 2021.

There had been 147 e-scooter fires final yr, a 20 per cent bounce from 123 in 2024. In 2021, the determine was 88.

These harmful fires are sometimes brought on by failing batteries, conversion kits, or chargers.

Products acquired through on-line marketplaces face the next danger of malfunction than these from established retailers, largely resulting from much less stringent regulation.

Nick Bailey of BatteryIQ, which displays e-bike battery security, underscored this concern, stating that concerned e-bikes and e-scooters are “always 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.

“I wouldn’t keep a battery in my home without continuous monitoring – regardless of what the manufacturer’s sticker says.”

The Press Association despatched Freedom of Information requests to all 49 fireplace brigades within the UK, asking for the variety of e-bike and e-scooter fires they recorded annually between 2021 and 2025.

Thirty-seven brigades offered comparable knowledge.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) recorded by far essentially the most e-bike and e-scooter fires final yr, with 171 and 35 respectively.

Nottinghamshire had the very best variety of e-bike fires (30) outdoors the capital, adopted by Greater Manchester (13).

Avon Fire and Rescue Service had the subsequent highest quantity (10).

Greater Manchester had essentially the most e-scooter blazes (13) outdoors London, forward of Avon Fire and Rescue Service (10).

Fires involving lithium batteries used for e-bikes and e-scooters can unfold quickly and produce a poisonous vapour.

Eden Abera Siem, 30, died in hospital after being rescued by firefighters when a blaze, which investigators discovered was in all probability brought on by the failure of a charging e-bike battery, broke out at her house on Lordship Lane, Wood Green, north London on June 21 final yr.

It was the fourth deadly e-bike fireplace recorded within the capital.

Lesley Rudd, chief government of charity Electrical Safety First, stated the problem of fires brought on by substandard e-bike and e-scooter batteries is “swiftly becoming a runaway train that needs to be stopped”.

She continued: “Poorly made batteries and accessories, often sold via under-regulated online marketplaces, are of huge concern, and are a major route through which dangerous devices are entering people’s homes.

“Without strong and enforceable changes, lives are at serious risk and further loss of life is, sadly, inevitable.”

Last week the Government printed three consultations setting out plans to spice up product security within the UK, which embody on-line marketplaces being legally required to “prevent, identify and remove dangerous products being sold via their platforms”.

Spencer Sutcliff, deputy commissioner of LFB, stated the brigade is “extremely concerned around the issue of e-bike and e-scooter fires, and the devastating impact these fires can have on lives and livelihoods”.

He added that its firefighters “continue to be called out to a worrying amount” of the incidents.

Privately-owned e-scooters have been banned from Transport for London (TfL’s) community since December 2021 due to their fireplace danger.

This was prolonged to non-foldable e-bikes for almost all of TfL providers in March final yr after an e-bike caught fireplace on a platform at Rayners Lane Tube station.

Private e-scooters are banned from being utilized in public areas throughout the UK, though they’re usually ridden illegally in lots of city areas.

Legal trials of rental e-scooters on roads have been ongoing in cities and cities throughout England since July 2020.

Under UK regulation, e-bike motors should reduce out when a velocity of 15.5mph is reached.

But police are more and more discovering many have been modified to achieve a lot quicker speeds.

Sue Davies, Which? head of shopper rights coverage, stated: “Online marketplaces are increasingly saturated with unsafe products.

“E-bikes and e-scooters are just some examples of items that can pose serious risks to consumers, while also undercutting responsible businesses that comply with the law.

“The Government has launched a much-needed consultation on updating the product safety framework, including duties for online marketplaces to prevent unsafe products from being sold by third-party sellers.

“These duties must be strong and enforceable, with clear measures in place to protect consumers and reduce the risk of fires and other harm.”