The e-mobility safety gap London Fire Brigade wants closed

E-mobility fires reach record levels in London

London firefighters attended 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires across the capital in 2025, the highest annual total recorded.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said two people died in these fires during 2025, taking the total number of fatalities in London from these types of fires to five since 2023.

The incidents ranged in severity, with some leading to injury and destructive damage to homes.

LFB recorded an average of 17 e-bike and e-scooter fires a month in 2025.

Around 83% of the 2025 incidents involved an e-bike, with 171 e-bike fires and 35 e-scooter fires.

The boroughs with the highest number of e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025 were Lewisham and Southwark with 16 each, followed by Tower Hamlets with 15, Lambeth with 12 and Westminster with 11.

LFB links fires to battery failure and calls for online marketplace regulation

LFB said its investigations show lithium-ion battery failure, conversion kits and chargers are often linked to these fires, with items purchased online that do not meet UK safety standards described as particularly prone to catching fire whether bought new or second-hand.

The brigade said lithium-ion batteries can fail for several reasons including poor build quality, counterfeit components, damage, overcharging and use with an incorrect charger.

The Government introduced the Product Regulation & Metrology (PRAM) Act, which received Royal Assent in summer 2025.

In December 2025, LFB Deputy Commissioner Spencer Sutcliff wrote to the Minister for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection, Kate Dearden MP, urging the Government to bring forward its consultation for secondary legislation under the Act as soon as possible.

Spencer Sutcliff, Deputy Commissioner and Operational Director for Prevention, Protection and Policy, 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.”

LFB said each of the five people who died in these fires in London did not own the e-bike involved.

The brigade said its #ChargeSafe campaign, launched in 2023, has increased awareness of the risks associated with poorly built e-bike and e-scooter lithium-ion batteries.

Polling carried out on behalf of LFB by YouGov in September 2025 found 67% of respondents felt knowledgeable about the fire risk associated with e-bikes and e-scooters, compared with 43% in April 2023.

LFB said more work is needed to educate about risks among gig economy riders, who use e-bikes and may modify them with conversion kits that may not meet safety standards.

The brigade said it is continuing to call for Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo to do more to share awareness about the risks directly with riders.

LFB also urged local authorities, housing associations, landlords, universities and colleges to help spread awareness, including practical steps such as providing safe storage areas or appropriate charging facilities.

The brigade’s figures and its call for secondary legislation sit alongside ongoing safety messaging through its #ChargeSafe campaign.