Firefighters have warned of electric bikes and scooters causing deadly fires across the UK, with riders urged to change their charging habits and avoid counterfeit equipment.
It comes after fire services warned that the risk of these electric vehicles causing fires has started spreading nationwide and threatening homes, families and entire blocks of flats.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has joined the call for change, urging the public to take the danger seriously.
The brigade detailed how most e-bikes and e-scooters powered by lithium-ion batteries can catch fire quickly if overcharged, damaged or used with the wrong charger.
A spokesperson for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service warned that people are often unaware of how fast e-bike and e-scooter fires can take hold.
Firefighters expressed being particularly concerned about batteries being charged overnight or left unattended, as well as about e-bikes being stored in hallways or stairwells, which can block escape routes.
The warnings follow new figures from the London Fire Brigade, which revealed that as of September, firefighters had already attended 165 e-bike and e-scooter fires in London this year, including 134 e-bike fires.
With an average of around 18 incidents a month, London is on course to surpass 200 fires in a single year for the first time.
The London Fire Brigade attended roughly 165 fires associated with e-bikes in the first nine months of the year | LONDON FIRE BRIGADE
This follows a series of shocking incidents, including the death of a 30-year-old woman who was killed in a fire at a bedsit on Lordship Lane in Wood Green in June.
Firefighters rescued her from the property, but she later died in the hospital. An investigation concluded the fire was most probably caused by the failure of a charging lithium-ion battery pack for an e-bike.
It marked the fourth fatal e-bike fire recorded in London, with reports finding that in all four cases, the victim did not own or use the e-bike involved.
Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection at the London Fire Brigade, Pamela Oparaocha, said the consequences of these fires are becoming increasingly devastating.
E-bikes and e-scooters have been blamed for causing a large number of fires | LONDON FIRE BRIGADE
She said: “We continue to see the devastating consequences of e-bike and e-scooter fires in London. Our thoughts are with the family of Eden, as well as all those who have been impacted by fires in recent years.
“Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are worryingly common in London. 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.”
One major incident in North Kensington saw around 80 firefighters called to a block of flats, with nine people being rescued after a lithium-ion battery pack for an e-scooter failed.
Investigators found the original battery and charger had been replaced with “aftermarket” products.
E-bikes are more likely to catch fire due to the lithium-ion batteries | LONDON FIRE BRIGADE
Fire services explained how lithium-ion batteries can fail for many reasons, including poor manufacturing, damage from drops or crashes, overcharging, or the use of counterfeit or incompatible chargers.
Products bought from online marketplaces have been considered particularly high risk due to many not meeting British or European safety standards.
Ms Oparaocha added: “Everything possible must be done to help people understand the risks we know exist and the steps they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.”
The London Fire Brigade has now called on the Government to strengthen the regulation of online marketplaces selling batteries and chargers. “Consumers should be protected from being exposed to dangerous, faulty or poorly-built products,” she said.