Overview
- Fire brigade figures compiled via freedom of information requests show 432 e-bike and 147 e-scooter fires in 2025, a sharp rise from 2024 and far above 2021 levels.
- London recorded the most incidents last year with 171 e-bike and 35 e-scooter fires, with Nottinghamshire and Greater Manchester reporting the highest counts outside the capital.
- Fire services and safety experts say most blazes start when lithium-ion batteries, aftermarket conversion kits or low-quality chargers fail, often in products bought on online marketplaces.
- The government’s new product-safety consultations would require marketplaces to prevent and remove dangerous listings, a move backed by Electrical Safety First and consumer group Which?.
- After a man in San José died trying to extinguish an e-bike battery fire, officials warned that these fires spread fast and release toxic smoke and urged people to evacuate and call emergency services instead of attempting to fight them.