E-BIKE SAFETY INITIATIVES & RESOURCES

E-BIKE BATTERY SAFETY INITIATIVES

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 make 'gig economy' delivery app operators responsible for ensuring that only safe and legal e-bikes are used to deliver their services, to address the key driver of demand)

Our calls for effective Government action are set out in detail in the BA "Stop the Fires" Action plan for Government.
Download the 2025 BA "Stop the Fires" E-bike Action Plan here.
We submitted this Action Plan in mid 2025 as part of our evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking, whose enquiry into e-bike safety endorsed and amplified our Action Plan recommendations.
Download the APPGCW enquiry report here.

While we continue to press Government to act on these recommendations, realistically even the best case timescale for these actions to be implemented and take effect is measured in years.

So 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 BA REGISTER OF SAFETY-AUDITED E-BIKE BRANDS

Users, potential customers, premises managers and others can refer to this register of e-bike brands whose quality and safety processes have been independently audited to ensure that their products are safe, fully road legal e-bikes.

THE ACT & BA E-BIKE POSITIVE RETAILER PLEDGE

Identify a responsible e-bike retailer who has committed to the Pledge – to provide only safe, legal e-bikes, spares and repairs.

THE E-BIKE POSITIVE CAMPAIGN

A public-facing campaign aiming to strengthen consumer confidence in reputable e-bikes, backed by the BA, ACT, Cycling UK and Bosch.

THE BA E-BIKE BATTERY COLLECTION AND RECYCLING SCHEME

The BA has launched an initiative to facilitate the safe, responsible collection and disposal of end of life e-bike batteries via collection points UK-wide. A pilot scheme at 50 e-bike retailers in the north west of England is ongoing, with successful operation to date, and we continue to work to develop a business model which will support the full national roll-out of the scheme.

Find out more

COMPANIES AGAINST TAMPERING

The BA and many of our member companies are pleased to support the Europe-wide initiative “Companies against tampering”, emphasising the industry’s opposition to de-restriction of e-bikes and similar actions.

Find out more

STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT

The BA is proud to support the development of ever safer e-bikes by funding the participation of its in-house experts on the relevant committees developing and continuously improving the international safety standards which apply to bikes and e-bikes, working principally through the standards bodies BSI, CEN and ISO.

Find out more

GOVERNMENT ADVICE & RESOURCES

The UK’s product safety regulator, OPSS, has engaged intensively on these issues:

In H2 2025 the BA is among key stakeholders engaging with OPSS and BSI on the development of a fast-track standard around battery safety sponsored by OPSS, PAS 7250.
In March 2025 OPSS added multiple language versions of its battery safety videos, to make them more accessible especially to riders in the gig economy - read the press release. Translated captions will be in Arabic, Urdu, Romanian, and Portuguese, including Brazilian Portuguese.
In January 2025 OPSS released a comprehensive report on Personal Light Electric Vehicle (PLEV) battery safety research (to which BA experts contributed) alongside an update on their regulatory activities in this area.
In December 2024 OPSS published Statutory guidelines on lithium-ion battery safety for e-bikes under General Product Safety regulations, aiming to help with enforcement against the most unsafe products. E-bike batteries from reputable suppliers already complying with established safety standards (e.g. EN 50604) are expected to comfortably meet the expectations set out in these guidelines.
In October 2024 OPSS launched the campaign "Buy Safe, Be Safe: avoid e-bike and e-scooter fires" providing safety information for consumers.
In December 2023 OPSS 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

Latest statistics on e-bike and e-scooter battery fire incidence are available here.
OPSS also conducts regular consumer surveys which include questions around use of e-bikes and e-scooters - the most recent is here.

The Department for Transport in February 2024 issued four guidance documents, developed with considerable input from the BA, to provide battery safety advice for:

Fire England has produced definitive advice on how to keep your home safe when charging your e-bike or e-scooter.