Fire chiefs warn of growing risk of e-bike ‘explosions’
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A total of 149 fires caused by exploding e-bike
batteries were recorded by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) in
2023, an increase of 71pc from 2022.
Three people died as a result of the
incidents while around 60 people were injured.
And at least a further 40 e-bike
fires have been recorded so far this year.
The fires are typically triggered
when the lithium battery of an e-bike becomes damaged or is charged using the
wrong equipment, said Charlie Pugsley, the London Fire Brigade’s deputy
commissioner.
He said: “Growing e-bike ownership is
a good thing if they help people get around and it supports our climate
objectives.
“But what really worries us is the
speed and severity of these battery fires when they break out.
In December last year, the LFB
revealed how a mother and son were forced to jump from the first-floor windows
of their home in Ilford, east London, after an e-bike that had been left
charging overnight burst into flames indoor. Both survived but had to be
treated in hospital, while large sections of the house’s first floor and roof
were destroyed.
The amount of energy packed into
lithium batteries makes them particularly dangerous when they explode, leading
to fierce flames and billowing smoke that fills the area within seconds, Mr
Pugsley said.
The LFB is now advising households
not to charge e-bikes when they are sleeping, to avoid placing them next to
exits or stairways that could block escape routes and to always use the correct
charger, among other things. Households have been advised to store them outside
or in outbuildings, where possible.
Mr Pugsley raised concerns about
growing spread of illegal e-bikes with more powerful motors and batteries, as
well as DIY conversion kits that can lead people to charge batteries with the
wrong charger.
Despite the legal limit for e-bikes
being 250 watts of power, a string of models with capacities of up to 2,000
watts are openly sold online, described as “road legal”. In UK speed limit for electric
bikes is 15.5mph, this means that the motor's assistance must stop when bike
reaches this speed.
“In the vast majority of cases, it is
not the fault of the consumer because they have bought the bikes in good faith.
“But obviously for those who buy the
motorbike-style ones that is a deliberate choice.”
He added that proposals recently set
out by the Government to increase the legal limit of e-bike power to 500 watts
should not go ahead until more research had been done around the safety
implications of such a move.
