An investigation has revealed that e-bike and e-scooter fires reached a record high last year, with concerns raised over the safety of batteries sold via online marketplaces.
Statistics from fire brigades across the country, acquired by the Press Association, show that 432 e-bike fires were recorded in the UK in 2025. This is a 38% rise from the 313 recorded in 2024, and more than five times higher than the 84 recorded incidents in 2021. In 2025 there were also 147 e-scooter fires, which is a 20% increase from the 123 recorded in 2024, with 88 recorded in 2021.
E-bike and e-scooter fires are often caused by the failure of batteries, conversion kits and chargers. There is a greater risk of products malfunctioning when they are purchased from online marketplaces, rather than established retailers, as they do not go through the same regulation processes. In some cases, online marketplace vendors sell counterfeit batteries using battery cells repurposed from disposable vapes.
Fires involving lithium batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters can spread quickly and generate toxic vapour, with four related fatalities recorded in London so far. Privately-owned e-scooters were banned from Transport for London's (TfL's) network in December 2021, with this ban extended to non-foldable e-bikes in March 2025, following a fire on a platform at Rayners Lane Tube station.
Last week the Government unveiled three consultations outlining proposals to strengthen product safety across the UK. This includes online marketplaces being legally obliged to identify and remove the dangerous products being sold on their platforms.
The Press Association submitted Freedom of Information requests to the 49 fire services across the UK, asking for the number of e-bike and e-scooter fires recorded annually between 2021 and 2025. From these, 37 services supplied data, with the London Fire Brigade (LFB) logging more e-bike and e-scooter fires last year than any other brigades.