Warning as e-bike and e-scooter fires set to hit record high
London faces record year of e-bike and e-scooter fires
- London is on track for a record year of e-bike and e-scooter fires, with 165 incidents recorded by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) by 28 September 2025.
- The capital is projected to exceed 200 fires in a single year for the first time if the current average of 18 incidents per month continues.
- A fatal fire, likely caused by a charging e-bike battery, claimed the life of Eden Abera Siem, marking the fourth such fatality in London, where the victim did not own the e-bike involved.
- Fires involving lithium batteries, used in e-bikes and e-scooters, spread rapidly and produce toxic vapour, with products from online marketplaces posing a higher risk due to less regulation.
- The LFB has urged gig economy companies to share safety advice, while Electrical Safety First calls for stricter government regulations, including third-party certification for e-bike batteries and conversion kits.