BA welcomes new battery research and OPSS actions

The Bicycle Association (BA), the UK cycle industry trade association, has welcomed research into lithium-ion battery fire safety published today by the Government department responsible for product safety, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and authored by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG). 

The BA was pleased to have contributed to the development of this report, which was released alongside an update on OPSS's regulatory activities in this area.  

Reputable companies in the e-bike industry devote considerable resources to sourcing quality components, designing in safety features, and thoroughly testing their battery packs to the latest international standards, and so welcome the focus in the report on ensuring that a level playing field is established and enforced for e-bike and e-scooter batteries, so that all such items placed on the UK market have a very high standard of product safety.  

The report:

• Commends the safety of some high quality e-bike battery packs, which resisted all attempts to induce fires in testing 
• Shines a spotlight on unsafe products in the e-bike, e-bike conversion kit and e-scooter sectors, especially the supply of unsafe batteries via online marketplaces. Such products undermine the reputable industry's strong safety record, and responsible suppliers very much support the report's emphasis on addressing the supply of such products. 
• Backs industry calls for the demand for high risk products in the 'gig economy' delivery sector to be addressed. Riders for such operations are under economic pressure to obtain high risk 'e-bike conversion kits', usually via online marketplaces.
• Identifies numerous technical improvements to existing international standards and battery designs. The industry and standards development community will analyse these recommendation closely as standards are updated and new, even safer products are developed.

The Bicycle Association and industry experts look forward to analysing the 360-page report in detail. 

We hope that swift Government action will help address the supply (especially from overseas and via online marketplaces) of unsafe products, as well as the demand for such items (especially in the 'gig economy' sector). The reputable industry will do all it can to support such efforts, and continue to develop and promote initiatives to help safeguard the responsible, safe and legal e-bike sector. 

We would however agree with the measured statement which concludes the body of the report, that there is sadly no "quick fix":

If these suggestions are acted on by the relevant parties in government, standards bodies, manufacturers and other stakeholders, WMG believes that the unacceptably high level of PLEV fires can be reduced over time. There is, however, no quick fix, due to the large number of products already in the hands of consumers and the lead-time for changes to legislation, and for updates to standards, and for manufacturers to develop, validate, productionise and introduce new products to the market.

Finally, the BA very much welcomes OPSS's update on regulatory activity, appreciates OPSS's close dialogue with the industry to date, and looks forward to continuing to engage closely with OPSS as the report's findings and other actions are taken forward.