Raising awareness: why e-bike and e-scooter battery safety must become a consumer and policy priority

Zurich recently attended Electrical Safety First (ESF) All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) launch at Portcullis House, which focused on the growing dangers associated with battery-powered micromobility. The discussion reinforced what insurers, firefighters and safety bodies are increasingly witnessing first-hand: this is no longer a niche issue, but one with serious consequences for people, property and communities.

The hidden risk behind rapid growth

E-bikes and e-scooters have surged in popularity, but a critical detail is often overlooked. Around three-quarters of those in use are believed to be conversions rather than factory-built models. These typically involve retrofitted batteries, chargers or conversion kits that do not meet recognised UK safety standards or have undergone appropriate testing.

From a claims’ standpoint, this distinction matters. Products from reputable manufacturers are generally designed with safety systems that can manage heat, charging and battery failure. Conversion kits, by contrast, frequently lack sufficient safeguards which often results in a significantly higher risk of fire, often without warning.

The UK faces a global challenge in battery safety. For example, New York has successfully legislated to ensure only safe, tested and approved batteries are sold in shops and online, all independently verified. This demonstrates that robust regulation is possible, and the UK should follow suit to protect consumers.

Fires are becoming more frequent and more severe

The London Fire Brigade has highlighted a stark increase in incidents linked to e-bikes and e-scooters over the past decade. Recent figures obtained by the Press Association show that there were at least 432 e-bikes fires recorded across the UK in 2025, up by 38% from 313 the previous year and more than five times higher than the 84 recorded in 2021. Tragically, fatalities have occurred: three in 2023, two in 2025, and recently, a resident was injured jumping from a third-floor window to escape a fire.

These fires are intense, releasing toxic and explosive fumes igniting quickly and burning intensely. Lithium-ion battery fires produce explosive gases and toxic smoke, turning small ignition points into life-threatening situations within minutes. [Our] Claims data shows that these fires often occur in homes, communal hallways or workplaces, most commonly when batteries are charging. It is precisely in these environments where escape routes can be compromised and damage can spread quickly.

Online convenience does not equal safety

One of the most concerning patterns is a consumer misunderstanding. Many people reasonably assume that if a product is sold through a well-known online marketplace, it must be safe and compliant to UK standard regulations. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Despite the UK’s Product Regulation and Metrology (PRAM) framework aiming to prevent unsafe goods entering the market, uncertified batteries, chargers and conversion kits remain widely accessible. In some countries, such products cannot legally be sold. Whilst, in the UK, they remain accessible with the consequences being felt by households, landlords and insurers alike.

Currently, PRAM aims to prevent unsafe products from entering the UK at the border. Despite this, consumers can still purchase uncertified batteries, chargers, and conversion kits from well-known online marketplaces. Although these platforms are trusted, many items available are not certified, posing serious risks. In China, such products are prohibited, yet the UK continues to allow their import and sale. Consumers must be made aware that buying from a familiar marketplace does not guarantee product safety.

Certification is not red tape, it is protection

In the UK, there is already a recognised safety benchmark for electrically assisted pedal cycle: EN15194. From a risk and claims perspective, purchasing certified products should be viewed as a non-negotiable. Buying an e-bike or an e-scooter should be approached with the same scrutiny as buying a car. Just as one would demand a valid MOT, so too should buyers insist on proper certification for battery-powered e-bikes and e-scooters.

Cost savings from cheaper, uncertified products are often illusory. The financial, emotional and physical cost of a fire far outweighs any of the upfront savings made.

Prevention works better than post-loss response

Claims teams regularly deal with the aftermath of battery fires, including difficult and costly disposal of damaged lithium ion batteries. These processes exist because they must, but they are no substitute for prevention. Blanket bans on charging or storing e bikes and e scooters in residential buildings or workplaces may reduce risk, but they also risk excluding those who rely on these devices for essential mobility.

The more sustainable answer is safer products in the marketplace with better access to information and clearer accountability.

The APPG’s recommendations are a strong starting point:

• A sustained public awareness campaign to challenge dangerous assumptions about product safety
• Stricter enforcement and penalties for manufacturers of substandard batteries and components
• Greater accountability for online marketplaces selling electrical products

From an insurer’s, perspective continuing to raise awareness is critical. Claims data tells us that many losses are preventable. If consumers understood the risks, buy certified products and follow safe charging and storage practices can safeguard lives.

At Zurich, we see prevention as integral part of protection. Collaboration between government, industry, marketplaces and insurers will be essential to ensure that innovation in mobility does not come at the cost of safety.

By Megan Dunford, Head of Large & Complex Property Claims at Zurich UK.