Consumers are being urged to avoid buying e-bikes and e-scooters from rogue online sellers because of the risk of deadly fires.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) warned that faulty parts have resulted in hundreds of incidents across the UK where the electric mobility devices have caught fire, some of which have resulted in deaths.
London Fire Brigade alone said it attended 143 e-bike fires and 36 e-scooter blazes last year, causing a total of three deaths and leaving around 60 people injured.
We're urging everyone to check what you're buying
Fires involving lithium batteries – which are used for e-bikes and e-scooters – can spread rapidly and produce a toxic vapour.
Products sold which do not meet UK safety standards have been found to be more at risk of exploding and catching fire, particularly when being charged.
The DBT said many fires are caused by parts being fitted to e-bikes or e-scooters which are incompatible, as well as by defective components.
It has launched a campaign calling on the public to buy only safe products from reputable sellers, only replace parts with products recommended by the manufacturer, and seek professional help when converting or repairing e-bikes or e-scooters.
Product safety minister Justin Madders said e-bikes can be “a great way to travel” but “we’ve all seen the tragic stories of unsafe e-bikes and e-scooters causing dangerous fires and taking lives”.
He added: “We’re urging everyone to check what you’re buying, check where you’re buying it from and ensure it’s safe to use.”
It’s equally as important to ensure you use a charger that is designed to be compatible with your battery to avoid the risk of overcharging which may destabilise the battery and lead to a fire
Local transport minister Simon Lightwood said rogue sellers “risk bringing defective and dangerous batteries into people’s homes” and “undermine confidence in active travel as a whole”.
In June, a coroner called for Government action after the death of a man whose home in Bristol caught fire when an e-bike battery pack he was charging overheated and ignited.
Maria Voisin, senior coroner for Avon, issued the plea after presiding over an inquest into the death of Abdul Oryakhel who fell from the window of his 16th floor flat while trying to escape the blaze.
Also in June, grieving father Scott Peden, 30, from Cambridge, called for urgent e-bike safety measures one year after his partner and two children died in a fire.
Mr Peden lost his partner Gemma, 31, and their children Lilly, eight, and Oliver, four, during a fire caused by an e-bike battery bought online.
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of charity Electrical Safety First, said e-bikes and e-scooters purchased from reputable sources and used correctly are “generally safe”, but poor-quality products, improper charging or misuse can cause “ferocious fires”.
She added: “It’s equally as important to ensure you use a charger that is designed to be compatible with your battery to avoid the risk of overcharging which may destabilise the battery and lead to a fire.”
The Government’s campaign comes amid wider efforts to tackle the selling of dangerous goods through online marketplaces.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill was unveiled last month, which aims to tighten product regulations.
