Record number of fires linked to e-bikes and e-scooters as pressure mounts to regulate vehicles

An e-bike destroyed in a fire. Photograph: London Fire Brigade

A record 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires were recorded in London in 2025, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

Two Londoners lost their lives in tragic blazes, taking the total number of fatalities linked to the vehicles to five since 2023.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB), which collated the figures, said the number of fires has largely been driven by faulty or poorly built vehicles, which are often bought online or secondhand. The accidents are mostly down to lithium-ion battery, conversion kits and chargers failing.

Senior figures from the organisation have now called on ministers to speed up regulation to improve product safety where they are purchased.

New laws introduced last year gave the government the power to hold online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon accountable, but the LFB are calling for urgent secondary legislation to establish strict standards on batteries and regulate conversion kits.

Deputy Commissioner Spencer Sutcliff said: “Firefighters are currently attending an e-bike or e-scooter fire every other day, on average. Already in 2026, we have seen several fires involving lithium-ion batteries. These fires can be explosive and have devastating consequences.

“We’ve been calling for regulation to improve product safety and are thankful for the work already done by the Government to help tackle this issue. We look forward to working with the Government on its consultation for secondary legislation, when it is introduced, to help tackle this issue head-on.

“We hope this is done as soon as possible to reduce the number of customers being exposed to dangerous products available for purchase online, and ultimately drive down the number of fires. We understand the importance of green and sustainable modes of transport and recognise the positive impact of e-bikes and e-scooters.

“However, poorly built, non-compliant or damaged lithium batteries in these products, as well as the use of mismatched batteries and chargers, present unique fire safety challenges”.

Last year firefighters were called out to an average of 17 incidents per month, with a total of 171 e-bike and 35 e-scooter related blazes.

Lewisham and Southwark topped the list of boroughs with the most accidents, with 16 each, followed by Tower Hamlets with 15, Lambeth with 12 and Westminster with 11.

One such case in Hither Green, Lewisham, came in March 2025, when occupants heard a bang and the partition wall into a bedroom collapsed, while the ensuing fire blocked an escape route. Jahmell Campbell, his father and his grandmother had to leave by jumping from their first-floor flat, while fire officials put the accident down to a lithium-ion battery in an e-scooter failing.

Mr Campbell said: “It was like a grenade had been thrown into the flat. I jumped out of the front first-floor flat window to escape. My dad didn’t know where I was and could not hear me shouting to him. I tried to go back into the building and go up the stairs but I knew if I opened the door to the flat, the fire would come out – the door handle was so hot.

“My grandma jumped and my dad was injured too. My grandma was in hospital for a week. I am not sure how we all made it out of the house alive but thankfully everyone is fine now”.

Zack Polanski, Chair of the London Assembly Fire Committee, told the LDRS: “The London Assembly Fire Committee raised serious concerns with the Government and urged better regulation of e-bikes and e-scooters in 2023, with key areas of concern including unregulated products, predominantly bought online, and unsafe charging in multi-occupancy or multi-storey residential buildings, meaning others can be put at risk.

“Despite several people already losing their lives in London, and dozens being injured due to failures of e-bike lithium-ion batteries, it is evident that the issue is persistent and rising, which is a serious concern. The Fire Committee will continue to investigate these issues to keep Londoners safe from fire risk”.

Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, added: “London’s record number of e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025 is a stark warning that the current regulatory system is failing to keep people safe. Whilst reputable manufacturers of these devices produce high quality and safe products, this is continuously undermined by sub-standard versions flooding the market, often sold via poorly regulated online marketplaces who are currently not legally responsible for the safety of goods sold via their platforms.

“E-bike and e-scooter fires can happen for many reasons, which is why we recommend a range of measures to reduce the fire risk.

“This includes the introduction of mandatory third-party certification for e-bike batteries, stronger standards for conversion kits, new laws to ensure online marketplaces are legally responsible for the safety of goods sold on their sites, and further work on raising awareness with the public about the risks of modifications and risky charging practices.

“These are all proposals we hope the Government will include within its upcoming consultation on this issue. Until new rules are introduced and enforced, people across the country will continue to be at risk”.

A spokesperson for E-Bike Positive, an initiative run by the trade associations for UK e-bike suppliers and retailers, told the LDRS: “Our deepest sympathies to anyone affected by these tragic fires. Urgent Government action is required on three fronts to stop these incidents.

“First, stop online marketplaces selling unsafe e-bikes, batteries and conversion kits. Second, reform the gig economy delivery sector to make the app operators responsible for riders using only safe and road legal e-bikes. Third, close the legal loophole which means dangerous non road legal e-bikes and conversion kits – often also of high fire risk – can be sold legally, even though using them except on private land is illegal.

“While we continue to lobby Government for decisive action on these fronts, the responsible e-bike industry, which supplies fully road legal e-bikes and batteries tested to demanding international safety standards, is developing a safety assurance scheme to help customers choose only rigorously safety-audited, fully road legal e-bike brands, purchased and maintained by responsible e-bike retailers”.

The LFB themselves launched a #ChargeSafe campaign in 2023 to spread awareness of the risks associated with poorly built batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters. However, industry figures say there is far more to be done, especially with educating gig economy riders, such as fast food delivery riders, using modified e-bikes for work.

The Deputy Mayor of London for Planning, Regeneration and Fire, Jules Pipe, told the LDRS: “The mayor and I are concerned about the rising number of fires linked to e-bikes and e-scooters, which are often due to faulty or unsafe batteries and chargers, especially those purchased online. We continue to urge Londoners to only buy batteries and conversion kits from reputable sellers and to follow the London Fire Brigade’s e-bike and e-scooter guidance.

“The Mayor, Transport for London and the LFB continue to work with Government to deliver clear national legislation and tougher product standards to ensure all e-bikes and e-scooters on our streets are safe and that those selling poor-quality products are held accountable”.

The Department for Transport was contacted for comment.