E-bike owners are advised to store batteries in a shed or garage and charge them before sleeping
(Picture: Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)UK consumers have been urged to apply caution when shopping for e-bikes and e-scooters by the UK trading standards body.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has issued a warning about fires caused by e-bike and e-scooter batteries. It cited data published by insurance company Zurich last December that suggested the number of fires caused by the batteries has risen by 150% since 2020.
Zurich said the data was obtained following a freedom of information request. It showed there were 67 e-bike and e-scooter-related battery fires in 2020, 167 in 2021, and the 2022 figure was expected to beat both previous years.
“Don’t buy online unless you’re really certain where a product is coming from. You also need to be very sure that you’re using the right charger for the right battery,” said CTSI lead officer for product safety Christine Heemskerk.
The rise in cases of these fires correlates with the scooter craze of the last few years. More scooters, more fires? Perhaps. However, CTSI suggested “e-bike conversion kits” are to blame for many of these fires. The kits let people turn a conventional bike into an electric bike. Riders are advised to store their bikes outside their property, for example, in a shed, and not leave them charging while they are asleep.
“There is a significant risk posed by the e-bikes which have been converted and we are predominantly seeing fires in ones which have been purchased from online marketplaces and batteries which have been sourced on the internet, which may not meet the correct safety standards,” said London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner for fire safety Charlie Pugsley.
“When these batteries and chargers fail, they do so with ferocity and because the fires develop so rapidly the situation can quickly become incredibly serious. These items are often stored in communal areas and corridors and can block people’s only means of escape.”
Electric bikes use lithium ion batteries, comparable technology to that of most electric cars.
CTSI advises shoppers to “only purchase e-bikes, e-scooters, chargers and batteries from reputable retailers”.
A quick search online will reveal many unbranded e-bike conversion kits and e-scooters imported from China, and these may well lack the “valid UKCA or CE mark” CTSI says you should look for.
The UKCA is the post-Brexit UK equivalent of the EU’s CE mark, which is used to show a product complies with a territory’s regulations. However, in the case of e-bikes this is a self-declaration process, not one that involves e-bike and e-scooter designs being actively tested by a central safety body.
The rules say EAPCs, electrically assisted pedal cycles, can have a motor of a maximum of 250W output, and should not be able to assist beyond 15.5mph.
Private e-scooters remain illegal on public roads and pavements. Rental e-scooters in London are limited to 12.5mph.
