The Government has published new independent research into the
safety of e-bike and e-scooter lithium-ion batteries, chargers
and e-bike conversion kits.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) commissioned
Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to produce the research to
improve Government's evidence base on the risks associated with
unsafe e-bike and e-scooter batteries and chargers, following a
rise in the number of fires in the UK related to these products,
some of which have sadly led to fatalities.
The research gives new insight into:
- how battery failures occur during real-world use and
environments, including scenarios of foreseeable misuse or
modification
- the types of processes and materials used in product
manufacture that achieve safer design and safer use of
lithium-ion batteries
- potential shortcomings in technical requirements in product
standards that have not kept pace with technological innovation
The research brings together evidence and data from the UK and
overseas with input from stakeholders and businesses across the
supply chain. This evidence gathering has been supported by
detailed technical product inspections and product testing in
laboratory settings.
Read the research on
battery safety.
OPSS is carefully assessing the evidence to inform our future
activity and is working to support wider Government and
interested stakeholders on future actions that could be taken to
improve the safety of these products.
A WMG spokesperson said: “We are delighted to have had the
opportunity to assist OPSS to achieve a deeper understanding of
the root causes of these battery fires.”
OPSS is already undertaking a programme of enforcement and market
surveillance activity. In December 2024, the Government published
new statutory guidelines for businesses producing and
distributing lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes. The guidelines
set out that such batteries must contain mechanisms capable of
preventing thermal runaway to be considered safe products.
Read the statutory
guidelines on lithium-ion battery safety for e-bikes.
OPSS is also assessing products and conducting checks on
businesses selling e-bikes, e-scooters and kits used to convert
standard bikes to e-bikes, both online and on the High Street.
Since 2022, there have been 21 product recalls, and 29 Product
Safety Reports published for unsafe or non-compliant e-bikes or
e-scooters subject to corrective action.
This activity follows the launch of Government's Buy Safe, Be
Safe consumer information campaign which launched in October 2024
to raise awareness of these risks, and provided safety advice for
consumers purchasing e-bikes, e-scooters and lithium-ion
batteries.
Find out more about the
Buy Safe, Be Safe campaign.
