UK e-bike fires: 18 dead and nearly 700 injured, BBC Verify data shows

Over 2,000 e-bike fires spread through the UK

More than 2,000 fires were started by e-bikes, e-scooters or their batteries between 2019 and 2025, according to Freedom of Information requests made by BBC Verify.

More and more of these incidents happen every year.

The fatalities recorded by fire and rescue services include people who became trapped inside burning homes, people who died trying to escape a fire out of a high window, and people who died from inhaling toxic smoke.

How fast e-bike fires spread

Footage of the fires shows how quickly the vehicles can start smoking and then apparently explode, causing blazes that spread within minutes, almost as fast as a dried Christmas tree.

Nearly half of the recorded fires started in homes or garages.

London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pam Oparaocha told BBC Verify the service is "increasingly concerned by the significant fire risk" some of these vehicles can pose.

"From our investigations we know many of the fires we've attended have involved second-hand vehicles or the bike has been modified using parts bought online," Oparaocha said.

"We urge people to be extremely careful about where they buy their e-bike or e-scooter from."

A booming market with a very cheap end

According to the cycling industry trade body the Bicycle Association around 153,000 new e-bikes are added to UK roads each year since 2020.

A new e-bike costs somewhere between roughly £400 and £4,000 in high street retailers such as Halfords or Decathlon.

Second-hand vehicles and unregulated conversion kits, which turn an ordinary bike into an electric one, can be found on online marketplaces for as little as £150.

Any lithium-ion battery sold in the UK for these vehicles must meet government safety requirements ensuring the batteries can be charged safely, do not overheat and are protected from damage.

The government's "Buy Safe, Be Safe" campaign says that while millions of people use these vehicles safely every day, the risk of fire can increase if they do not meet safety rules, or are damaged, modified or used with an incompatible charger.

What this means if you own one

The official advice comes down to things a buyer can check: whether the vehicle meets the safety rules, whether it has been damaged or modified, whether the charger is compatible, and whether it carries a UKCE or CE product safety mark.

London Fire Brigade adds one more: being careful about where you buy from in the first place. Those checks are easiest on a new bike sold on the high street.

Oparaocha's warning points somewhere else: to second-hand vehicles and bikes rebuilt with parts bought online, where the safety mark, the seller and the charger may all be unknown.

When nearly three million Teslas were recalled over their door handles earlier this week, there was a manufacturer to issue the recall.

On a bike modified with parts from an online marketplace, there is nobody to send the letter.