Fires caused by an electric vehicle continue to rise in London, with the number of incidents caused by electric bikes, cars and scooters showing a sharp increase since the same period last year.
The latest figures released by the London Fire Brigade, who reported that they attended an average of one e-bike or e-scooter incident every other day in 2024, show that the number of fires caused by electric cars, bikes and scooters in January and February 2025 was 57, up 39% from the same period last year.
Mum-of-three Katie Mitchell, 40, was terrified when an electric motorbike that she’d bought as a gift for her ten-year-old son Teddy ignited in March this year, creating a huge inferno on her lawn.
She said: “It was really quick, a sort of gas flew out of the battery and in seconds it just went up.
“The fire brigade said that it’s happening all the time.”
There was a swift response from the emergency services to stop the fire, and no one in her family was harmed, but the ordeal has shaken Katie, who insisted she would never consider purchasing another electric vehicle again.
Mitchell said: “It was really scary, the kids were really scared. Imagine if my boy was on it.”
Such fires often occur when the lithium batteries that power these vehicles fail and explode, creating fast-spreading fires that are more ferocious than regular electrical fires and produce highly toxic vapours.
The batteries can fail for a number of reasons, such as if they are fake, counterfeit or damaged, overcharged or incorrectly charged, or have been built poorly.
Lithium batteries are used to power a number of items, including e-cigarettes and electric buses, but e-bikes, cars and scooters are by far the biggest culprit, comprising 63% of all lithium battery and electric vehicle fires since 2017.
E-bikes and scooters powered by these batteries are becoming increasingly popular as an environmentally friendly and energy efficient way to travel around the capital, but many people are buying cheap models online or modifying regular bikes themselves.
Of 142 e-bike fires to occur across London in 2024, 43 were caused by bikes that had been converted from a normal pedal cycle, 23 were a manufactured e-bike and 76 were unknown.
The LFB has warned that particular products such as batteries, chargers and conversion kits purchased from online marketplaces are at greater risk of malfunctioning, as they are not held to the same regulatory standards as high street alternatives.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection, Richard Field, said: “At this time, there is not the same level of regulation of products for e-bikes and e-scooters sold via online marketplaces or auction sites when compared to high street shops, so we cannot be confident that products meet the correct safety standard.
“We understand that people are trying to save money, but if you spot a deal that looks too be good to be true, it probably is.”
The effects of such electrical fires can be devastating, resulting in eight fatalities and 381 injuries since 2017.
Field added: “They have destroyed homes and families have sadly lost loved ones in these fires.”
To try and raise awareness about the dangers of e-bike and e-scooter fires, London Fire Brigade launched the ongoing #ChargeSafe campaign in the spring of 2023.
Alongside publishing safety advice, they are also using the campaign to call for stricter safety standards and regulation around e-bikes and scooters.
In March of this year TfL, in further acknowledgement of the danger posed, banned non-folded e-bikes, including converted bicycles and e-scooters, on all their tube, Overgound, Elizabeth Line and DLR services, becoming the UK’s first operator to enforce a ban.
This comes after a number of instances of e-bikes catching fire on London’s transport network, including a fire at Sutton Railway station.
This ban is just one of a number of potential regulatory measures being considered, including the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which had its second reading in the commons in April.
The bill will see the Government work with businesses, consumer groups and online marketplaces to develop a regulatory framework and online marketplace requirements to tackle the purchase of unsafe materials and conversion kits, though many believe that much more needs to be done to tackle a serious lack of regulatory standards.
Mitchell said: “I think that they need to come with more warnings, the government’s allowing it to happen.”
Those who wish exercise caution when purchasing an electric vehicle can visit the London Fire Brigade’s Charge Safe Campaign for advice: ChargeSafe | London Fire Brigade, but should mainly focus on using chargers and batteries that meet UK safety standards by buying official vehicles from a reputable seller.
Images courtesy of the London Fire Brigade
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