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E-BIKE SAFETY INITIATIVES & RESOURCES
The Bicycle Association is convinced that e-bikes have huge potential for mobility, for health and to contribute to decarbonisation of transport. When sourced from responsible suppliers, they are a very safe and enjoyable form of transport.
However, we have noted with concern reports of fires attributed to lithium batteries used in some unsafe e-bikes and e-scooters.
The BA works closely with Government and supports urgent official action to address both the supply of unsafe e-bikes, conversion kits, batteries and chargers (overwhelmingly ordered online from overseas suppliers, often via online marketplaces) and the demand for them (we urge Government to require 'gig economy' operators to provide safe and legal e-bikes for their riders, to address the key driver of demand).
Ahead of official measures to address unsafe products, the Bicycle Association and other cycle sector organisations have developed a number of initiatives to help consumers stay safe by identifying reputable brands and retailers supplying legal, safety-tested e-bikes, and to demonstrate the reputable industry's commitment as responsible suppliers:
The Department for Transport has (Feb 2024) issued four guidance documents, developed with considerable input from the BA, to provide battery safety advice for:
The UK’s product safety regulator, OPSS, in December 2023 issued a Government Safety Message on e-bikes and e-scooters aimed at consumers, offering them five-step advice when purchasing and using these vehicles to minimise risk. These are backed up by a collection of posters and social media content on e-bikes and e-scooters battery charging which suppliers are encouraged to use and disseminate.
The latest OPSS data on e-bike and e-scooter battery fires is available here.
Fire England has produced definitive advice on how to keep your home safe when charging your e-bike or e-scooter.
The Bicycle Association and the Association of Cycle Traders have issued this joint info sheet, aiming to clarify the difference between the very safe…
A non-exhaustive one-page guide outlining some of the technical indications that a particular e-bike may be of higher or lower fire risk:
A one-page summary of laws, safety regulations and technical standards which currently apply to e-bikes in the UK.